A Tale of Two Brothers
by D.Minx
Summary: Despite their differences Charles and Jules Hedgehog were always close.. After the death of their father the brothers find themselves pulled in directions they could never imagine.. While Charles begins his life as an inventor, Jules finds himself recruited into the Royal Guard and enamoured by Princess Aleena. But with an inevitable war about to break out how will it all end? R
1. Coping With Loss,,

**A Tale of Two Brothers**

_Hey Peeps, I don't own anything related to Sonic or his universe, that's SEGA and all other companies relevant to the creation of his various back-stories, and even though most of them have tanked it now that is besides the point… Honestly, I actually own very little in this fic (next to nothing to be exact) but this is __my__ story and even though I am using characters from Archie, DiC and SEGA I will be fleshing many of them out because they were only 2-dimensional so in some ways they will appear very OC… hopefully you'll bear with me! Anyway, I've bored you to tears with this disclaimer so enjoy… and let me know what you think! X_

* * *

**Chapter One:****Coping With Loss…**

The skies of above the Great Forest of Mobius were a dark gloomy black and the rain that pounded the lands below seemed both sorrowful and unrelenting. It was almost as if the sky itself was mourning along with the inhabitants of the sleepy little hamlet of Knothole below. With a community of only twenty-five Mobians Knothole was the kind of community where everybody knew everybody else, so naturally when someone died the entire community was present for their funeral. The Mobian who had passed away was a middle-aged hedgehog by the name of Maurice.. He'd been a mechanical engineer who had died due to a severe lung infection, something the hedgehog had caught after years of inhaling minuscule shards of metal. Although Maurice had been feeling ill the old hedgehog had not sought medical attention. His wife had died many years previously and with two teenage sons to support he needed to work. So he'd persevered through the chest pains and hidden his flu-like symptoms as best he could from his children. It was only when his eldest son found him coughing up blood, shivering violently and barely able to stand did the old hedgehog finally relent and seek a doctor. By then it was too late, he had contracted a serious case of tuberculosis.. It was this that finally took his life. The old hedgehog had died shortly afterwards in his bed with his two sons by his side..

Now today, they were burying his body. Four Mobians were carrying the coffin which contained the deceased hedgehog to it's final resting place, the two at the rear of the casket had been friends of Maurice while the two at the front were his sons. On the left-hand side was the hedgehog's eldest son, the one who'd first discovered his father's illness. Charles Hedgehog who was nearly twenty had the same shade of mild-blue fur and quills as his father had. His eyes were a pale baby blue colour and he had bushy eyebrows, under his slim black nose sat a small but neat handlebar moustache. He carried his father with the solemn dignified manner of a mourning son. His eyes downcast and swimming with the pain of someone who wished they could have done more. On the right-hand side of the coffin was his sixteen year old brother Julius Hedgehog. Julius, or Jules as he preferred to be known as, more closely resembled their long-departed mother with his cobalt-blue fur and warm hazel-coloured eyes. He had one bang of loose blue quills that hung across his forehead with the kind of graceful elegance that his brother could never achieve and with his effortless good-looks Jules was never short of admirers. While his older brother mourned the lose of their father Jules' hazel eyes were narrowed in a deadpan expression, almost as if he were bored rather than sad. In truth, Jules did not know how to feel right now. Would he actually miss his father and his relentless lectures? The sixteen year old hedgehog chanced a glance at his brother as they closed in on their father's burial site which was next to their mother's. Charles' sad blue eyes continued to watch where they were going, guiding both his brother and the procession of Mobians to the freshly dug grave-site while the rain still battered down from above…

Their father had always been proud of Charles.. He had an incredible IQ and he nursed a passion for tinkering with metal and wires. When he wasn't at university in Mobotroplis city studying for his doctorate in Robotic Engineering the brilliant young hedgehog could be found holed up in his room working on an 'idea'. Charles spent most of his time alone as he only had a select few friends. This was the biggest setback to his immense intelligence. The mild-blue hedgehog often found it hard to relate to others his own age, the only ones he really knew were his brother's inner circle of friends who made allowances for him. Instead Charles befriended Mobians older than himself that were like-minded, such as his teachers and lecturers who could stimulate his thirst for knowledge and give him opinions on his 'ideas'..

Jules on the other hand was completely the opposite of his brother in many ways. He did not possess the same incredible aptitude in school as Charles but the cobalt-blue teen had managed to scrape enough grades together to get an Engineering diploma. Then Jules decided to throw in the towel, claiming he didn't want to be an engineer of any kind. This had disappointed their father Maurice immensely because he'd always wanted both his sons to follow him into the field of engineering. But then, disappointing his father was nothing new to Jules. Although the cobalt-blue hedgehog was usually very easy-going he had a slightly cocky inflection to his personality that was often mistaken as insolence, and this usually came with a knack for attracting trouble. It was for this reason that Maurice was much firmer with his seemingly irresponsible younger son, along with the fact that Jules seemed to have no sense of direction when it came to his future. Once he'd quit school the cobalt-blue teenager had fallen into a minimum-paid job working in Lickety-Split Pizzas as a delivery-hog. Despite his father's comments that he was 'wasting his time' Jules loved his job delivering pizzas. Sure, it was a dead-end job with very little pay but the cobalt-blue teen viewed every delivery he made as a new adventure and within a few short months he'd learned the layout of the streets of Mobotroplis off by heart.

…As the community of Knothole crowded around the grave-site the coffin of Maurice Hedgehog was lowered down into the soaking wet ground below. Then once Charles had tossed in the first spade-full of dirt the grave was filled in and patted down firmly with Maurice's tombstone sat beside his wife's. The ceremony had been short but sweet, partly due to the horrendous rain and the fact that Maurice himself had always disliked long drawn-out speeches, he had much preferred things to be brief and to the point.

With the funeral finally over the well wishers of Knothole lined up to offer their condolences and shake hands with the two Hedgehog brothers. Charles, who had somehow managed to pull himself together towards the end of the coffin burial, accepted the handshakes and kind words of the community with a grateful smile. Jules however, was not quite as keen as his older brother to be comforted by their community and tried to hang back from the crowd, reluctant to shake hands while responding to their words of kindness in an offhanded dismissive fashion.

'Jules!' Charles finally hissed in irritation when there was a gap in the well wishers. The mild-blue hedgehog lanced his little brother with fleeting glare of disapproval. 'Will you stop being rude and at least make the effort to be polite, for dad.' The mention of their dead father caused Jules' neat brow to furrow in slight annoyance, he may be dead but it seemed his influence was still hanging around. Then the sixteen year old cobalt hedgehog rolled his warm hazel eyes in a harassed fashion before sighing heavily.

'_Fine_. Whatever you say Charlie-boy..' Jules replied with an upbeat tone, a slightly aggravating smirk appeared on his tanned muzzle as he folded his arms. Before Charles could even think of a response another well wisher appeared, this time it was an elderly squirrel neatly dressed with a black shawl covering her shoulders and small round glasses perched on the end of her nose, covering her greenish-blue eyes. Once she'd exchanged some kind words with Charles she turned her attention to Jules. The cobalt-blue hedgehog flashed her a warm smile which was so obviously false as he took her hands politely in his gloved white ones. The elderly squirrel seemed to not notice his façade as she smiled back.

'So sorry for your loss my dear, your father was such a pillar of strength, Knothole won't be the same without him now..' The elderly squirrel sounded as she squeezed Jules' hands affectionately. The sixteen year old hedgehog responded by curling her fingers into one hand and patting her gently with the other.

'Yes..' Jules' voice oozed with put-on sympathy as he continued to smile. '-I'm sure he'll be greatly missed by us all.' His words caused Charles' pale-blue eyes to widen in shock at what his cobalt brother had just uttered. However Jules' subtly dismissive words were completely missed by the elderly squirrel who told him to take care before moving away. As the sixteen year old hedgehog looked proud of himself for feigning his way through another well wisher Charles narrowed his eyes at his younger brother.

'You really are insufferable sometimes..' The mild-blue older hedgehog spoke in a low voice.

'Thanks..' Jules responded, shutting his eyes and flashing a wide smile that showed off his perfectly straight square teeth to his older brother. This caused Charles to sigh heavily with a shake of his head before turning back to the last of the stragglers, mentally kicking himself for thinking his little brother could try not being himself for one day..

* * *

'Where are you going now?' Charles Hedgehog kinked a brow towards his brother as Jules pulled on his red vest with collar. It was mid-afternoon and even though their father's funeral had only been yesterday it seemed that the sixteen year old cobalt hedgehog was already planning an escape.

'_Uh_… work..' Jules responded in a tone that suggested this was the most obvious answer in the world. He instantly grabbed his set of brown boots and quickly laced them up before straightening and facing his older brother once more.

'_Work?_' Charles' pale blue eyes widened in surprise. He had no idea that Jules was planning to return to his job so soon after the funeral..

'Yeh.. Y'know, that place I go nearly every day to earn some money?' Jules raised both brows at his older brother. 'Besides, as much fun as it is to hang around here all day mopin' with you, I really need to get outta here before I catch cabin fever.' The cobalt hedgehog casually flicked his bang of blue quills out of his hazel eyes before turning away and heading towards the front door. It was true, even though it had only been one day Knothole was already driving the sixteen year old hedgehog insane. He was already missing the hustle and bustle of Mobotroplis and how there was always something going on in the big city.

'But I thought we could go through some of dad's stuff today..' Charles sounded slightly crestfallen at the idea of being left alone so soon after the funeral. Jules, who had been about to grab the door handle to the front door, paused and turned around to look at his brother. For a split-second surprise registered in his hazel eyes before the cobalt teenager frowned.

'What for? It's not like he has anythin' I want, just keep what you want and toss the rest.' Jules replied coldly moving his hand back to the door handle and opening the front door.

'Jules…' The older mild-blue hedgehog sighed heavily. He knew his little brother was affected by their father's death as much as he was, even if he was more angry than upset about it. Clearly he'd underestimated how much Jules had resented being constantly compared to him by their father and the effect of this was clouding his grief..

'What?' The sixteen year old hedgehog didn't turn around but remained in the doorframe of their childhood home.

'You know dad loved you, right?' Charles asked tentatively, cocking his head slightly. Though his tone was wary he was also curious to see how his little brother would react. For a brief moment Jules merely stood in the doorway, his hazel eyes were downcast as he considered his brother's words. But when he brought his hazel eyes back up his brow kinked with a smidge of scorn.

'Oh yeh?' His voice sounded slightly saddened before his cobalt-blue head turned just enough so he could look back at his brother, angry grief gleamed in his usually warm hazel eyes. 'Well he had a funny way of showin' it to me then, didn't he?' immediately Jules sniffed and strode out of the house. As the front door slammed shut Charles winced then let out a sigh of relief, well at least he knew his brother was grieving..

* * *

Jules sighed heavily once the front door was shut, creating a barrier between him and his older brother. The cobalt-blue teenager raised a white-gloved hand to the tanned bridge before his slim black nose. He was finding the death of his father hard to deal with.. Mostly because Jules was starting to realise that now his father was dead he would never have the chance to prove to him that he was more than just an irresponsible slacker. Pulling his hand away from his face Jules opened his hazel eyes and mentally pulled himself together. He then began doing a few stretching lunges on the front step to the little log-wood cabin he'd lived in his whole life. After a few minutes of warm up stretches the cobalt hedgehog took off in a westerly direction towards Mobotroplis. Jules was the fastest moving Mobian he knew. Even as a tiny hedgehog he'd been able to run rings around his brother and parents easily. The 'speed' gene that Jules had inherited had apparently been sitting dormant in his family for many generations, in fact they had thought it had become extinct until he had come along. At one point Charles, who had been curious to see just how fast his little brother could move, had clocked Jules at a top-speed of nearly four hundred kilometres an hour. Though the cobalt-blue hedgehog could not keep this speed up for long as it pushed him to his limits and he grew tired very quickly. Still, he could run comfortably along-side his older brother's motorbike and when he got tired or fed up of running, he could hop in the side-car then kick back and relax with the wind in his face.

As Jules sped through the Great Forest, easily dodging the tall redwood trees as they appeared in his path, he reminded himself why he was returning to work. He needed to get some sense of normalcy back into his life and remind himself that life goes on, plus returning to work would be a great escape from the depression that was covering Knothole at the moment.

Within fifteen minutes the sixteen year-old cobalt-blue hedgehog arrived outside Lickety-Split Pizzas. The fast-food takeaway was located in downtown Mobotroplis. It was a small building lit up by bright neon colours of blue and yellow that was sandwiched in between to larger outlets. Though it was small the business it did pretty well. Lickety-Split Pizzas was run by a friendly Mobian known simply as Mr Racoon. When the sixteen year-old hedgehog entered the fast-food takeaway the middle-aged grey racoon with black stripes blinked in surprise. His dark-chocolate eyes widened as he took in Jules' presence, clearly he had not been expecting him back so soon after his father's funeral.

'Jules, your back early my boy..' The racoon said as he straightened up from the paper he'd been glancing over before the teenage hedgehog had come in. '-I wasn't expecting you back until tomorrow at least.'

'Uh, yeh, I know Mr Racoon, sir..' Jules ran his white-gloved hand through his cobalt-blue quills with embarrassment. '-but, I was hopin' you'd let me start back early. I-I just need to try and move on from this..' The middle-aged racoon studied the face of his best delivery-hog and saw that even though there was the pain of loss shining in them, there was also determination as well. It was almost as if his father's death had made the teenager more sure-minded than he was before.

'Well, if it's what you really want, then I don't see why not.' Mr Racoon replied after a moment of consideration. His attention was suddenly captured by the ringing phone on the wall beside him. Extending his arm and unhooking the phone the middle-aged racoon put it to his ear before pulling a pad and paper to him.

'Lickety-Split Pizzas, can I take your order?' He sounded jovially down the phone before jotting down the order as the customer said it then taking the delivery address down. 'Alright, it'll be with you lickety-split.' He added once the request was complete then hung up the phone again. The racoon then turned back to Jules and smiled at his teenage delivery-hog. 'Looks like you arrived just in time.' The cobalt hedgehog grinned widely back as Mr Racoon hung up the check and instantly began to prepare the order..

As the afternoon turned into evening Jules found himself dashing around all over Mobotroplis with orders of piping hot pizzas and sides. Since business was good and his deliveries were quick the cobalt hedgehog had managed to rake in a fair few tips. It was nearing the end of his first shift and it was only now, once business was slowing down again, did Jules start to think about his brother and how he had been pretty rude to him earlier. Charles always been there for Jules if he needed advice, back up or just let off steam. The mild-blue older hedgehog would often just listen to his little brother then nod and miraculously say whatever it was he needed to hear. The cobalt hedgehog couldn't have asked for a more supportive brother. This made him feel guilty for leaving Charles on his own to sort out their father's belongings. He then wondered if his older brother would remember to eat as often when Charles immersed himself in something it became his full focus. Jules was just mentally debating whether or not to take him something back when a very familiar voice called his attention.

'Juice!' The teenage male voice called out, using the nickname Jules had picked up at school due to his speed. This caused the cobalt hedgehog to skid to a stop and turn his warm hazel eyes around in the direction of the speaker. He then found himself looking at a large walrus with greyish-blue skin, short whiskers and two large teeth which grew from his white jowls below large sea-blue eyes.

'Hey Sherman..' The cobalt hedgehog grinned back widely, instantly recognising his schoolyard friend. 'How's it goin' bud?' Jules sounded cheery as he turned back and closed the gap between them.

'Eh, not bad. How 'bout you? How was your dad's funeral?' The teen walrus eyed his best friend with concern.

'It was ok..' Jules replied with a nonchalant shrug. '-as far as funerals go.' He added in a tone that suggested he hadn't been to any other funerals so had nothing to compare it to.

'I guess that's all we can really hope for.' Sherman sighed in response. He, like his best friend, had not been to enough funerals to know when one was considered good. There was a slightly awkward pause at this point as the two friends were unsure of what to say next. Death was never an easy subject to move on from.

'Hey, listen..' Sherman suddenly spoke, as if remembering why he wanted his friend in the first place. '-some of the guys are headin' down to Macey's for a bit, you should come. Might help you take your mind of things.' The walrus, who was at least a head taller than his cobalt best friend, threw Jules a persuasive grin and even though the offer sounded very tempting he couldn't help but think about his brother Charles.

'Oh gee, I dunno Sherman, I left Charlie alone to sort through dad's things today, I don't think I should leave him on his own tonight as well..' The cobalt-blue hedgehog threw his best friend a guilty leer. Understanding shone in Sherman's face before he responded.

'So bring him along. I bet he hasn't even left Knothole since your old-hog died, it would do him good to get out and the guys won't mind.' The walrus sounded seriously and Jules rubbed his tanned muzzle thoughtfully, considering this.

'Who's all gonna be there like?' The cobalt teen's hazel eyes locked back on to his best friend. It would really depend on which group of their friends was going to be out.

'The usual crew. Lionel, Gus and I think Tig said he might come out if he could sneak out of the army barracks after lights out.' Jules smirked with amusement as Sherman stated this last bit. Tig Stripes had enlisted into the Mobian Army the moment he had left school, carrying on a long line of Stripes-family tradition but he wasn't known for always obeying the rules. The boys had all known each other from their elementary schooldays in Acorn Academy and despite their different directions in life the four of them had remained in touch. Since it was his old school crew that were meeting up he had no problem with dragging his geeky older brother along as they all knew him well. Plus Sherman was right, Charles really did need to get out of Knothole.

'Alright, my shift is nearly over. I'll go home and make sure Charlie has eaten then I'll drag him out with me.' Jules replied, finally relenting to the idea of a night out.

'Kickin' and screamin'?' Sherman joked with a smile, knowing Charles could be a little reluctant to go out as he was so socially awkward with others his age.

'Probably.' Jules threw him a cheeky grin. 'But he'll relent. He always does.' The cobalt hedgehog then chanced a glance at his watch. 'Look I gotta dash bud but I'll catch you later at Macey's ok?'

'No problem Juice..' Sherman replied waving his best friend off as Jules shot off down the street back towards Lickety-Split Pizzas to clock out.

As the sixteen year old cobalt hedgehog re-entered the fast food takeaway Mr Racoon was just pulling off his white apron and hat, folding them neatly and placing them on the side. When Jules moved up to the counter he pulled off his money belt and placed it by the till.

'You need me to do anything else before I go?' The sixteen year old hedgehog's hazel eyes turned to his boss curiously.

'No, no. I can handle the cash up myself..' The middle-aged raccoon smiled kindly before turning around and picking up a twelve-inch cardboard pizza box and setting it in front of Jules. 'Here. Take this..' Immediately the cobalt hedgehog threw his boss confused look before pushing the pizza away.

'Sir, that's very kind but I really couldn't.' Jules replied with a sense of pride in his voice. He may have just lost his father but he wasn't a charity case and didn't want to be treated as such.

'Jules, I know how tough this must be for you, but there is no shame in accepting a bit of support now and then. You're a good kid and an excellent worker, now take this and go and feed your brother.' The old racoon's dark chocolate eyes reflected the sympathy and kindness of his words. For a moment the cobalt-blue hedgehog stared in awe at his boss before he tentatively stretched out his white-gloved fingers and took hold of the pizza box.

'You really didn't have to, but thank you sir.' Jules smiled kindly. 'See you tomorrow Mr Racoon.' The cobalt hedgehog waved goodbye to his boss and left the pizza delivery place and headed home, carrying the pizza carefully as he did..

* * *

When Jules arrived back amongst the greenery and small log-cabins of Knothole he slowed right down from a hundred and thirty kilometres an hour running speed to a walking pace. He strolled casually up to his childhood home which he now shared with his brother and opened the door hesitantly, peeking around the slightly ajar door. His hazel eyes scanned the darkened hallway and noticed that the right-side light to the living room was on, indicating that his brother must be in there. Carefully the cobalt sixteen year old hedgehog slipped inside while balancing the pizza skilfully then shutting the door gently. As he tiptoed towards the living room he noticed a few cardboard boxes which must've contained some of there dad's belongings. When Jules finally reached the doorway to the living room he found his mild-blue older brother packing a few last things into a box before taping it shut.

'Uh, hey Charlie..' Jules spoke in a soft voice which had a slightly uneasy undertone to it. The moment he spoke Charles' head and quills turned, his pale blue eyes glancing at his younger cobalt brother before he turned back to the box.

'Hi Jules..' The older hedgehog responded in a neutral voice. '-what've you got there?' Charles added as he picked up the box and moved it onto a little pile of more boxes.

'An offering..' Jules replied as he moved into the room, finally noticing the boxes. 'Wow. I see you've been busy.' His hazel eyes widened at all the boxes, he'd never realised just how much stuff one hedgehog could actually have.

'Yup.' Charles sounded as he wiped his gloved hands and turned around so his pale blue eyes could look at his brother.

'Is there much left to do?' The cobalt hedgehog asked curiously.

'Nope.' Charles replied. 'That was the last box. All that's left is to take it down to good will but I'll do that tomorrow.' He added with a slight sigh.

'I'll help you then.' Jules added solemnly, he felt that since he'd abandoned his brother today he owed him that. His words caused Charles' pale eyes to widen in slight surprise but before he could say anything Jules spoke again. 'Have you eaten?' The cobalt hedgehog's brow kinked curiously towards his older brother.

'No, not had a chance..' Charles said lightly.

'Then here..' Jules said, pushing the pizza into his brothers hands. 'Eat some of this.' Charles gave his brother a wry smile before sitting down with the pizza in his lap. The mild-blue hedgehog then opened the box and pulled out a slice of the still-hot pizza, letting the cheese ooze over the sides. There was silence as Charles ate his first slice, which was also the first thing he'd eaten all day. While his older brother polished off his first slice and went for a second Jules sat in thought, rubbing his hands nervously in an absent-minded manner.

'It's good..' Charles' voice spoke softly as he paused between bites. '-have some.' His words brought Jules out of his musings then turn his hazel eyes towards his brother as a small smile curved his lips. The cobalt hedgehog stretched out a hand and picked up a slice and held it as his eyes stayed focused on his brother.

'Listen Charlie..' Jules said gently, a gleam of regret escaping his eyes. '-I'm really sorry about ditchin' you with all this.' The cobalt hedgehog gestured with his free hand around the room to show he meant the home filled with belongings and memories of their father. 'I just needed to get away from-'

'Jules, it's ok.' Charles cut over him, stopping his little brother from finishing his sentence. Empathy filled the older hedgehog's pale blue eyes which also reflected the grief and self-doubt he felt. 'I understand how hard this must be for you.' He then flashed his cobalt little brother a sad smile.

'You do?' Jules' hazel eyes widened in surprise and relief.

'Yeh, it's hard for me too.' Charles replied honestly, he'd been moping around their childhood home for just over a week, still feeling like it was somehow his failure to see the signs that could have stopped their father from passing away.

'It's not your fault, y'know..' The cobalt sixteen year old hedgehog threw his brother a serious look while his tone was rich with warmth and sympathy. 'Dad was a stubborn old coot who hid his suffering from us for months, maybe years. He should've just gone and seen a doctor sooner.' A slight twinge of annoyance twitched Jules' handsome features. He couldn't help but be angry at his father, not only for his unfair criticism while still alive but for also making Charles feel responsible for his death.

'I know, I know..' Charles sighed in a calming tone, not wanting his little brother to get annoyed about their father again. '-but it doesn't make me feel any better.' The mild-blue hedgehog resumed eating his pizza, noticing the abandoned slice still in his brother's hand. 'You better eat that before it gets cold..' He added causing Jules to look down at his slice.

'Oh yeh..' Jules smirked slightly at his bit of pizza. 'Forgot I was holding it..' He then lifted the slice and took a large bite out of it. Having been sat in the cold air, instead of the warm pizza box, it had cooled down considerably and though the cheese on top had just started to harden it still retained a glimmer of it's heat left. Once the pizza in the box was gone Jules took the cardboard and dashed through to the kitchen to throw the box away. He returned in seconds and jumped back into the seat beside his brother.

'Jules, I know you said you didn't want anything of dad's but I found these amongst his things and I think you should have them.' Charles said matter-of-factly before pulling out two small objects and handing them to his brother. One was a red Army-style switch-knife with a few other useful attachments and the other item was a pristine gold pocket-watch. For a long moment Jules stared at the two objects in his hands, trying not to let the lump in his throat get any bigger. Even though his father had been such a quill-buster the cobalt teen did miss him deep down in his heart. With something of his father's in each hand Jules curled his fingers around them and held them tight.

'Thanks Charlie.' He smiled gratefully, glad Charles had taken the initiative to ignore his angry words earlier that day. 'How much are you keeping?' His hazel eyes threw a curious look to his brother.

'Not a lot.' Charles responded with a faint smile. 'Just some photo albums and a few of his tools that I can use..' He then picked up one of the albums. 'Do you fancy a trip down memory lane?' He waved the album towards Jules who recognised it instantly as the one which contained toddler and tot photos of the two of them.

'Maybe tomorrow night Charlie, I said to the guys we'd meet them over in Macey's tonight.' The cobalt-blue teen took the album and placed it on the side before getting up.

'We?' Charles kinked a brow, immediately picking up on the fact he had not said 'I'.

'Yes. That means your coming too.' Jules' hazel eyes narrowed in a deadpan expression, his hands went to the waist of his open red vest and rested on his hips.

'Aw. I don't think that's a good idea Jules.' The mild-blue hedgehog raised both hands and shook his head in refusal.

'Look, it's just the old crew Charlie.. Sherman, Lionel, Gus and possibly Tig.. You'll be fine.' The cobalt hedgehog sighed, already feeling some of his brother's resistance to the idea before he voiced it.

'I don't think so. But you go, they're your friends.' Charles folded his arms as a scowl began to appear on his brow.

'We would invite your friends too Charlie but, well..' Jules tailed off scratching his head in the gap between his pointy ears, trying to find the right words to sugar-coat the truth and failing. '-they're all kinda, middle-aged narks.' Charles' eyes narrowed expressionless at these words. It was hardly the most sensitive way to describe his associates but the mild-blue hedgehog could understand why Jules and his group of friends wouldn't want them there. They were just two different classes of Mobians.

'C'mon Charlie..' The cobalt teen flashed his older brother a pleading grin while gripping his arm. '-it'll do you good to get outta here for a while. _Please come_.' Jules' grin widened as he tugged persistently on his brother's arm. Charles looked into his brother's beseeching hazel eyes then sighed, relenting. He knew his little brother would not stop pestering him until he agreed anyway.

'Alright.. I'll go..' The mild-blue hedgehog replied begrudgingly, just because he was agreeing didn't mean he had to be happy about it. 'But I'm taking something to tinker with while we're there.' Charles immediately got up from the seat he'd been sat in and went to his room to go and fetch his coat and whatever it was he was planning to take with him. Jules watched his brother leave then rolled his eyes in slight disbeleif. Only Charles would take one of his half-finished inventions to play around with while inside an underground club..

* * *

_Little Notes:_

_Hey peeps, as I said before in the disclaimer this story doesn't really follow any of the original Sonic back-stories. I'm just taking bits and pieces that I like and mashing them together to create a new back-story, though it is better planned out than it sounds I assure you. Most resources used are from Sonic the Hedgehog SATAM/Archie mixed with the kind of idea of a prequel to Sonic Underground. It's not.. It's just along those lines. Most of the characters aren't mine but are only based loosely on what they are like, mostly because the comic or series never really delves into them much as they're not relevant to plotlines. So hopefully you'll forgive me for making slight changes while fleshing them out and not discard this story before giving it a proper chance._

_Ok firstly, I've decided that it would make no sense for Sonic's speed to be a genetic fluke. This was the one thing I really had a problem with in both Archie Comics and Sonic Underground. I don't believe for five seconds that Sonic's speed is not hereditary from at least one side of his family. And even though his parents are in the comics nobody seems to think about asking the obvious question: 'So, which one of you does Sonic get his speed from?'… They just carry on oblivious to the fact that neither one of his parents seems to display any hint. Then in Sonic Underground it was actually suggested that his speed could be taken away like those daft medallion-things. Eh, I don't think so, it's a natural gift... So in the end I decided that it would just be something else he inherited from his dad. Mostly this came about because of how relaxed Jules seemed to be about his son risking his life and going on crazy adventures that would send normal parents into a stress-induced heart-attacks. I figured that back in his day Jules himself was probably a lot like Sonic himself, therefore he understands his son a lot better despite the fact that he'd missed a huge chunk of his life. It should also be noted that even though Jules has some speed, he can't run anywhere near as fast as Sonic can.._

_Secondly, the childhood nickname I picked out for Jules is a reference to Jaeel White, who voice Sonic in the older TV series that I watched as a kid. 'Juice' was also the name Sonic himself picked in the SATAM series when his younger-self was curious to know who he was. It has absolutely __nothing__ to do with OJ Simpson, ok… I'm Scottish so I'd just like to stay as far away from that argument as I can get!_

_Thirdly, the name of the place Jules' first job is at derives from a Sonic quote from The Adventures of Sonic where he dresses up as a delivery boy and delivers Robotnick his 'dinner' which is actually a bomb. He makes a comment about his 'lickety-split deliveries'. So I used it to create a small piece of Jules' past.._

_And if you've stuck around this far… Stay tuned!_

_~Ditzy_


	2. Finding A New Direction

**A Tale of Two Brothers**

_Hey Peeps, I don't own anything related to Sonic or his universe, that's SEGA and all other companies relevant to the creation of his various back-stories, and even though most of them have tanked it now that is besides the point… Honestly, I actually own very little in this fic (next to nothing to be exact) but this is __my__ story and even though I am using characters from Archie, DiC and SEGA I will be fleshing many of them out because they were only 2-dimensional so in some ways they will appear very OC… hopefully you'll bear with me! Anyway, I've bored you to tears with this disclaimer so enjoy… and let me know what you think! X_

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**_Review Replies:_**

**_Nyx27Seth: Glad you like it hun! this chap's longer! Hopefully more reviews will join you soon! X_**

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_Dedicated to AJ the Human, Nyx27Seth, DarkPreistessOfHyrule and ERA OF ERICK... Thanks guys! this ones for you! X_

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**Chapter Two:Finding A New Direction**

Macey's was definitely not the easiest place in Mobius to find. It was located in a sub-section of Mobotroplis which had once been used for storing rations in the last war between Mobians and their long-time enemies the Overlanders. Nobody on Mobius was certain on just where the Overlanders had come from, these strange furless beings had just appeared out of nowhere. There was stories of how they had crash-landed on Mobius in an enormous spaceship called 'The Ark' but not many Mobians truly believed this. How the Overlanders came to be here wasn't the most pressing issue. At first everything had been fine between the Mobians and Overlanders, both sides seemed rather curious about each other, eager to see if there was something to be learned from them. But this soon fell apart once the Mobians discovered just how cruel and controlling these Overlanders could be without intending it. They experimented in ways that no Mobian would dare to dream, using what they deemed as 'lesser beings' as the test subjects for their 'scientific experiments'… all for the 'quest of knowledge' of course. The experiments the Overlanders conducted and their blasé attitude towards the animals forced to go through them frightened the Mobians. If this was what they were like now just what would they be like if they actually wanted to cause harm? It had been agreed that Overlanders were just far too dangerous to associate with so the Mobians broke off all contact with them. Being naturally sympathetic and warm-hearted creatures, the Mobians left the Overlanders with a sizable chunk of Mobius to call their own and both sides went their separate ways. It was not until an incident involving a young Overlander and a Mobian of a similar age did animosity break out between the two sides. The young Overlander and the Mobian teenager had apparently been friends but something had happened which had caused the young Overlander to shoot the Mobian with a handgun, an Overlander-invention which Mobians disapproved of. In a nasty twist of fate the Mobian teenager that had been shot was a pale blue hedgehog. Not just any hedgehog either, he had been a son of the King of Mobius. When the body of the young prince had been discovered shortly afterwards it was obvious he'd been killed by an Overlander and ever since then the two sides had been enemies. The last war with them had ended in an uneasy truce and everything had been quiet since…

Once the Hedgehog brothers entered the front doors of Macey's they were greeted with a small, dimly-lit reception area that lead to a huge set of double doors. This doorway opened to reveal a flight of stairs that led down into the actual club itself. As Jules lead Charles over to the club entrance the doors flew open and along with the faint strings of music three teenage Mobian-girls came out smiling and giggling. The moment the three of them spotted the cobalt hedgehog their eyes lit up with both recognition and swooning desire. Jules and his friends had been coming here for a year now and were considered 'regulars', couple this with his good looks and it was no wonder the girls had reacted to him this way.

'Hi girls..' Jules flashed them a casual grin, not bothered by their silence as three sets of eyes gazed at him with the kind of stupor one could only get from someone they fancied. It took a few seconds for his words to truly register with the three Mobian-girls. Then a further second for the three of them to glance at each other and let out a squeal of delight.

'He spoke to us!' The three girls all chorused together before errupting into nervous giggling and they passed the Hedgehog brothers, glancing back towards Jules as they did. While Charles let out a soft sigh of relief, pleased he'd been ignored by the three girls, his cobalt-blue brother threw the three females a confused look. He didn't understand what was so funny about him saying 'hi'..

'Is it me Charlie, or are girls just plain weird?' Jules finally turned back to his brother, a slight frown of annoyance crossing his face now.

'Heh, your asking the wrong hedgehog brother..' Charles sighed with a faint shake of the head and a light smile. He had even less luck with girls his age than he did with making friends. It seemed that the girls were not only intimidated by his vast intelligence but also put off by his lack of interest in socializing. Jules threw his brother a pitying smile before it widened into a more upbeat one.

'C'mon, the guys will be waitin' inside..' The cobalt hedgehog then seized his brother by the arm and pulled him through the double doors. As the brothers descended the stairs they could hear the strings of the band playing tonight. What made Macey's different from other clubs in Mobotroplis was the fact that this club played only live music. As they entered the doors at the bottom the volume of the music increased and the band on stage could be seen while a few couples and groups of Mobian friends danced and cheered. Ignoring the band for the moment the Hedgehog brothers glanced around the large room until one of them spotted a very familiar walrus seated in a booth along with three other very familiar Mobians. Immediately the brothers made a bee-line across the floor towards them and once they were only a few meters away the walrus turned and grinned widely at them.

'Hey guys, glad you could make it.' Sherman sounded jovially as Jules and Charles arrived at the table. Next to Sherman sat Lionel, who was a lion with a bushy blonde mane and friendly blue eyes that were hidden behind a set of spectacles. Out of all of Jules' friends Lionel was the smartest of them. He was also the only one of them that was actually planning to use his Engineering diploma to get into Mobotroplis University. Despite being considered to be a bit of a 'nark' the sixteen year old lion was well respected amongst his peers and had proven many times that having intelligence was not necessarily a bad thing. Jules liked to think that having Lionel as a friend had helped the others accept Charles more openly. The mild-blue hedgehog had slipped down in the empty seat next to Lionel knowing that the lion would not mind if he whipped out his invention to tinker with, in fact it would probably draw his interest. Out of all of Jules' friends Lionel was the one Charles had most in common with and once he started Mobotroplis University they would be seeing each other a lot more. Taking up the entire back section of the booth was an enormous white-furred bear named Augustus or Gus as he preferred. Augustus had been an exchange student from the Artic Regions on the very north pole of Mobius. Although he'd only attended Acorn Academy in the last year the Mobian polar bear had become an invaluable member of their crew. Despite his intimidating size Gus was nothing more than a friendly giant, he couldn't hurt anyone if he tried. He was often described as the 'heart and soul' of the group, willing to go along with anything as long as he was with his friends. Jules took the only seat left which was next to his best friend and 'go to guy' Tiger 'Tig' Stripes. Jules and Tig had known each other the longest and had been best friends since they first met back in their first year of schooling. The white and silver striped tiger grinned as the cobalt hedgehog sat next to him. Clearly Tig had managed to 'break out' of the army barracks without any problems. This didn't surprise anyone around them as Tig was well known for his scheming and strategy tactics. Both he and Jules were considered the two leaders of their crew and were very alike in many ways. The only difference was that Jules was considered the idea-hedgehog while Tig was in charge of making it happen. While in school the two of them were well known for their pranks and hijinx, all in the spirit of fun. And when they got in trouble, which was usually the case, the two of them were able to use their charm and likeability to get out of it.

'What? You guys think I'd let you down?' Jules laughed freely for the first time since his father died, pulling an expression of mock-offence.

'Never doubted you for a second Juice.' The deep rich voice of Gus came from the end of the booth as the polar bear's deep navy eyes flashed with sincerity.

'Neither did I..' Tig added as he slipped an arm around Jules in a quick hug of brotherly affection.

'Hey. There's a first time for everything..' Sherman shrugged good-naturedly before taking a swig of the drink in front of him, returning his gaze to Gus. 'So when is it you go back to the Artic Regions?' He asked casually as this had been the conversation before the Hedgehog brothers arrived. Jules' hazel eyes snapped onto his polar bear friend, this was the first he'd heard of this plan.

'Not for a couple of months yet.' Gus' deep voice seemed to vibrate as he replied lightly.

'Wait? Your going back?' Jules suddenly piped up confused.

'Have to little hog.' The polar bear sounded with a slight smile. 'Got plans to go into the fishin' business with the old bear. Just me an' him on the icy ocean, there's nothin' like it in the whole of Mobius..' Gus sighed heavily with a dreamy expression. 'It's the one thing I've missed since comin' down here. 'Cept for Mama an' the cubs.' He added referring to his two little siblings.

'Sounds like a dream.' Charles sounded amiably, smiling at the large bear beside him.

'Been my dream since I was five.' Gus sounded happily. 'Never forget the first day I went out on the boat..' He then drifted out into a far away smile, clearly reminiscing. Charles Hedgehog only smiled widely at the bear, knowing how it felt to follow a dream. Jules meanwhile blinked in surprise feeling mixed feelings over this new development. He was happy for his friend but at the same time he was sad because he'd not see Gus again once he was gone.

'Did you know about this?' The cobalt hedgehog then leaned into Tig and the tiger's deep grey eyes turned to him.

'Nah. He just told us today. That's why we wanted you to come out.' Tig replied casually making Jules feel better for not being completely out of the loop.

'Well in that case we'll have to see him off in style.' The cobalt-blue hedgehog's hazel eyes lit up as a smirk curved his muzzle.

'Don't worry Juice, I'm already _waay_ ahead of you.' Tig flashed his best friend a matching grin.

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As the night wore on the six of them laughed and joked as they enjoyed each others company. The five friends were each doing their bit to make sure Charles wasn't left out of the fun for too long.

'What's that you've got there Chuck?' Lionel asked once the mild-blue hedgehog finally found a moment to pull out his half finished invention. 'Chuck' was what most Mobians knew Charles as, it was only his immediate family that had known him as 'Charlie' and now he and Jules were the last Hedgehogs left. The mild-blue hedgehog smiled at the blonde lion's curiosity.

'This?' he asked casually, waving the wide black gun-like device he was working on. 'I'm calling it a ring-restraint gun.' Charles smiled proudly holding out the gun so Lionel could get a better look. 'It uses the same kind of energy as the rings used to power the city, though the molecular structure of the restraint-rings is not solid itself so it creates a comfortable restraint and is durable enough to withstand any amount of strength.'

'It kind looks like an Overlander handgun.' Lionel sounded as he took the creation off of Charles and studied it closely.

'It does a little.. I got the idea originally from one of those things but this couldn't hurt anybody, all it can do is restrain them.' He took the restraint gun back then pulled out a screwdriver and began to adjust something near the wide rectangular barrel of the gun.

'Neat-oh!' Lionel smiled widely. 'What do you still have to do?' The lion asked curiously as the gun looked almost complete.

'I just need to line-up the sight, finish wiring the 'release' and 'recall' button then load up the gun.' Charles replied politely as he twiddled the screwdriver around once more then pulling it away. As he put the screwdriver back in his long brown coat he pulled out a pair of small pliers and a set of tweezers before carefully setting to work on completing the control button. Lionel watched with interest before his curiosity was peaked again.

'So where did the idea for using ring energy come from?' The lion asked as he took a sip of his drink.

'My lecturer, Professor Morgan gave me the idea.' Charles replied nonchalantly, ignoring the sudden look of amazement that crossed Lionel's face.

'Professor Morgan? As in Nate Morgan, the guy who invented the power rings and brought Mobius out of the Dark Ages?' The lion looked as though he would faint as he said this.

'Yup. That's the one.' Charles replied. 'He's head of the Department of Science at Mobius University. I'm sure you'll see him knocking about once your there.' The mild-blue hedgehog glanced up at Lionel who suddenly looked like he couldn't wait.

'What's he like?' The lion asked keenly, unable to help his curiosity as this guy was like a hero to him.

'He's brilliant.' Charles replied as his pale blue eyes raised up to look at Lionel, awe and admiration in them. 'Always happy to help hone our minds and offer up advice whenever we need it. Plus he's really down to Mobius so you can have a real conversation with him while working on a project.' The mild-blue hedgehog spoke fondly of his mentor and friend..

…On the other side of the table a different conversation entirely was taking place.

'I'm tellin' you Juice, you shoulda signed up for the Army with me.' Tig Stripes was saying to his best friend. 'With your speed and abilities you could easily join my platoon, Bones would love you!' The tiger couldn't help but grin widely. Sergeant Bones was a bull-dog Mobian who was in charge of Tiger's unit and although he was as tough and firm as you'd expect from someone who'd been moulded by the army, his bite was not as bad as his bark. This meant that even though he was tough, he was also fair and one thing he prized in his platoon was 'spit, grit and gumption' which in his opinion made his unit the best. Bones had already taken Tig under his wing and there was no doubt in the young tiger's mind that his unit commander would like Jules too.

The cobalt hedgehog hummed unsurely as he tried to picture himself in the Mobian Army. It would certainly offer him adventure but there was one thing he didn't like about it… having to move into the barracks permanently.

'Gee, I dunno Tig.' Jules finally drawled. 'It's not that I don't like the idea, its just… I don't want to leave home.' The cobalt-blue hedgehog sighed heavily. Now that his father had just died and Charles was all the family he had left in the whole world, he wasn't ready to be separated from him. 'Not now anyway.'

'Well, if you don't wanna leave home then why not sign up for the Royal Guard?' Tig suggested and this caused the hedgehog to blink. 'I hear they're recruiting new cadets and they do the same kind of basic training we do. The only difference between them and us is that they only take the best of the best so competition is steep-'

'_Competition?_' Jules kinked a brow as he cut over his best friend. 'I _hate_ to remind you bud, but nobody has ever beat me in anything to do with agility.' The cobalt hedgehog's scowl quickly melted into a cocky smirk. This was true, in school Jules had beat the rest of Acorn Academy hands down in every sporting event. He didn't just have quick feet, his reactions and reflexes were just as sharp.

'I know Juice..' Tig rolled his grey eyes in a slightly weary fashion. '-that's why I think you'd be a dead cert if you signed up, they'd be mad not to take you onboard.' The tiger grinned at his friend and Jules stroked his muzzle, seriously considering this surprising career choice.

'Whatta you think Sherman?' Jules asked turning to the walrus sitting across from him, the only other one paying attention to the conversation as Gus was watching Charles work on his restraint gun.

'I think it's a great idea Juice, but it's gotta be what you want.' The walrus grinned widely, he'd gone into the mechanical engineering side of the Army. His training was centred around transport and keeping everything in working order. And his unit wasn't quite as strict when it came to 'lights out' as Tig's was, thankfully today had been a day off so he could come out without getting in trouble with his commanding officer. Jules flashed his friend a smile before it melted away as he began to muse over his future, something he had not actually done since throwing in the towel on a future career in Engineering.

…Meanwhile at the other side of the table Charles was finishing the final tweaks to his ring-restraint gun. Once he was done screwing the side panel back on, after a final safety check of the complicated wiring inside, the mild-blue hedgehog smiled proudly. It had taken him the best part of two months but finally his invention was finished.

'Now all we need to do is test it out.' Charles sounded amiably to the lion beside him. His eyes scanned across the table to see Tig and Sherman comparing Army-training tales while his cobalt brother was only half-listening, looking off thoughtfully. For a moment Charles wondered what his two friends had said to Jules to make him drift off from their conversation. But he would have to find out that from his little brother later, right now Jules was about to become a guinea-pig. Charles casually pointed the rectangular gun towards his brother, catching the sudden attention of both Tig and Sherman who's eyes widened in surprise, he then squeezed the trigger. The gun only made a soft buzzing noise as it released a bright ball of energy that shot towards Jules.

'What the _Chaos?_' The cobalt sixteen year old hedgehog cried out in shock as the hand he'd been leaning on instantly jerked down towards the other, forcing him to lift his head before it smacked of the table. He stared at his wrists dumbfounded for a split-second before the sound of ringing laughter struck up causing Jules' hazel eyes to look up. Immediately he saw his four best friends laughing hysterically at him and the source of the blue-lights now shackling his wrists together… Charles holding a hand-sized rectangular gun which was smoking slightly. He quickly realised that he had become yet another guinea-pig for one of his brother's experiments and scowled at the mild-blue hedgehog sitting diagonally opposite him. Instantly the cobalt-blue hedgehog began wrestling with the glowing blue restraints holding his hands together.

'_Rrrrr_..' Jules growled as he struggled, trying to release himself from his shackles. As he fought with the glowing blue restraints all four of his friends laughed as he was getting more frustrated, the restraints just wouldn't move! 'Charlie, why am I always your test subject!' The cobalt hedgehog glared at his older brother in annoyance and embarrassment.

'Because you're my little brother and that's what you're here for.' Charles remarked casually as he switched the sliding button on top of the gun to 'recall' instead of 'release'. Taking aim once again the mild-blue hedgehog squeezed the trigger. This time however the blue rings around Jules' hands dissolved and the energy was sucked back inside the rectangular barrel.

'Y'know, normal brothers don't use their little siblings as test subjects.' Jules scowled towards his mild-blue older brother. Charles on the other hand narrowed his pale blue eyes at his younger brother as a smile tweaked from under his moustache.

'_Ohh_ yes they do..' He drawled in dry amusement which made Jules glare with deeper in irritation.

'I'll get you back Charlie-Boy..' The cobalt hedgehog muttered sulkily.

Wow Chuck..' Sherman sounded impressed by the demonstration of the ring-restraint gun. '-that is a seriously cool bit of kit.'

'I'll say..' Lionel declared brightly, taking the restraint gun off of Charles and studying it again. '-how did you find a way to recycle the energy used?' The mild-blue hedgehog tapped his nose winking secretively at these words.

'Ah. Now that's my little secret.' Charles replied airily, not giving away anything.

'It'll change the way law enforcement officers operate, that's for sure.' Gus added, impressed with Charles' ability to think up and create ideas.

'Maybe, but I doubt it will affect the armed forces much..' Tig said in a slightly monotonous voice, leaning casually back in his seat. Although he too admired Charles' ability to invent new things he was used to seeing the advanced weaponry the military had to offer.

'_Oh_… I dunno Tig.' Jules piped up, leaning across the table and taking the ring-restraint gun off of Lionel and sliding back into his seat. 'I'd rather be seen with one of these babies than with a gun.' The cobalt sixteen year old then held the restraint gun in one hand and studied his brother's invention. Beside him the white and silver-striped tiger rolled his grey eyes at his best friend. Jules' way of thinking was very old-fashioned but then that didn't come as a surprise to Tig as his cobalt best friend had been a huge fan of the stories of Kirby since he was just a tiny hedgehoglet. These tales were children's stories of Mobius' past.. They had been written down by a Mobian named Kirby as a way of preserving history for the next generation. The problem was that since Mobian History before this point had only been passed around orally nobody could really distinguish between the facts and the myths.

'Well it's just as well your not trying out for the Army then, you get a gun issued as standard.' Tig responded to Jules' statement with a smirk. The Mobian Army were the only part of Mobius that kept a Mobian-replica of the Overlanders' firearm invention. Unlike the rest of Mobius the Army was not quite as sympathetic towards the Overlanders. This was not surprising as over the many wars the Army had lost hundreds of good Mobian-soldiers to these murderous aliens. And since they had seen the full brutality and cruelty of this furless race of beings they were not willing to let these creatures near enough to harm their fellow Mobians… If the Overlanders were going to use fire to try and defeat them then that same 'fire' was their best defence.

'Yeh..' Jules chuckled at his best friends words. The cobalt hedgehog then slid the button at the top of his brother's invention from 'recall' to 'release'. 'If I joined the only place my gun would be going would be in the trash!' As he laughed at his own words Jules turned the barrel of the restraint gun towards his brother and fired.

'Hey! What was that for?' Charles cried out as the blue rings shackled his wrists together, his pale blue eyes turning to the smug grin on his little brother's face.

'I told you I'd getcha back Charlie..' Jules drawled with a hint of mischievous pleasure in his voice.

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It was either very late at night or insanely early in the morning when Charles and Jules returned to their little wood-cabin home in Knothole. As Charles pulled his motorbike into the garage around the back of their home he lent over to the side-car and nudged his sleeping brother awake..

'Huh..? What?' The cobalt teenage hedgehog stirred from his curled up position in the passenger cart and stretched out yawning. 'We back already?' He asked absent-mindedly. Jules had originally been planning to run home alongside his brother's motorbike but the temptation of a kip in the side-car had been too good to resist.

'Yeh. Now come on Sleepy Quills it's time for bed..' Charles sounded as he hopped down from his bike and moved around it to his brother. Jules yawned a second time and opened his hazel eyes just enough to wipe the sleep out of them. He then hauled himself out of the side-car and walked in a slow, drowsy pace towards the door leading to their home.

'How 'bout a snack first?' The cobalt hedgehog suggested, now that he had woken up he was suddenly feeling peckish.

'Sounds like a good idea, let's see what the kitchen has to offer.' The older mild-blue hedgehog replied with a grin as his hand clamped over his rumbling stomach. All he'd eaten today was just over half a pizza.

When the two brothers entered the small kitchen, which was located just across from the garage, they immediately began to see if they had anything they could cobble together into a 'midnight' snack. Since neither one of them had done any kind of grocery shopping recently they would just have to be creative with whatever they could find.

'Alright!' Jules sounded brightly as he opened a high-level cupboard. 'We have hotdogs!' He pulled the only tin in the cupboard out with a grin and waved it unnecessarily at his older brother.

'We also have a couple of rolls left.' Charles beamed in return after finding four long-fingered rolls in another cupboard.

'Awesome. So what we gonna have on them?' The sixteen year old cobalt hedgehog kinked a neat brow, his hands resting on the edge of his red vest that was covering his hips.

'Let's see what we got.' Charles replied and opened the fridge with a smile. Inside he found only a few cloves of garlic, half a tin of chopped tomatoes, a small block of cheese, a medium onion and a fist-sized lump of mince. The mild-blue hedgehog pulled out all these leftover items and set them on the table before throwing his brother a smirk. 'You thinking what I'm thinking?' He asked Jules and immediately the cobalt teen's hazel eyes narrowed.

'Oh yeh..' He drawled back in response mirroring his brother's leer.

'_Chilidogs!_' Both brothers declared together before they turned away and began pulling a pan out of a lower cupboard and spices out of the spice rack. While Charles prepared to boil the hotdogs Jules made speedy work of dicing the onion then frying it with the mince. It took both Hedgehog brothers no time at all to create their 'midnight' snack. So once the cheese had been grated and the pots were in the sink the brothers sat down at the breakfast nook with their two chilidogs. Since the dining room had now become Charles' temporary lab the two hedgehogs had taken to eating in the kitchen. Not that this bothered either of them, sitting eating at the breakfast nook reminded them both of being little hedgehoglets.

'_Mmm_..' Charles made a noise of satisfaction as he chewed his first bite slowly, savouring the taste. Jules had practically demolished his first one by the time his older brother was halfway through. '-this reminds me of when mom used to make us a snack before sending us off to bed.' The mild-blue hedgehog smiled at his brother. Jules who had been sucking the chilli off his fingers paused and blinked blankly at his older brother. Suddenly his hazel eyes saddened slightly and he poked his second chilidog as if he'd suddenly gone off it.

'Your lucky you can remember her..' The cobalt hedgehog sighed before his eyes turned back to his brother. 'If it weren't for photos I doubt I'd even know what she looks like.' He leant on the counter of the breakfast nook and gazed at his brother as he chewed his chilidog. Jules had only been three when she'd died while his brother had just turned seven. Every time the cobalt hedgehog tried to remember even the smallest detail about his mother he always drew a blank. He'd obviously been too young to remember her and in a way this was maddening to him, it felt so unfair that he wasn't allowed to remember the hedgehog who'd loved him with all her heart. Charles could recall her perfectly. From her thick cobalt quills which had been curled neatly and the soft canary dress she wore with a crisp white piny, to the warmth of her happy hazel eyes and the smell of her fresh zesty perfume as she'd doted on her boys.

'And in some ways your lucky you don't remember her.' Charles sighed heavily. He remembered when their mother had fallen ill and the heartache her death had caused their father. How the old hedgehog used to hold the tiny form of Jules close to him and watch his son as he slept. And now, their father had gone too…

Jules threw his brother a confused look but decided not to say anything more. Just for something to do the cobalt hedgehog picked up his second chilidog and took a bite of it, chewing it more slowly than his first. There was a hollow silence as the brothers sat chewing their second chilidogs and thinking about the parents that they had lost.

'Hey Charlie..' Jules' voice broke the solemn silence that had been building between them. The cobalt teenager looked slightly tense as his eyes turned to his older brother. 'What would you say if I told you I wanted to try out for the Royal Guard?' Jules' hazel eyes were both nervous but also curious too. Ever since Tig had mentioned that they were looking for new cadets the idea had actually stuck with him... It was something he could really picture himself doing. The mild-blue older hedgehog actually paused before taking his final bite of chilidog and turned to look at his little brother in surprise. A sudden wave of understanding hit Charles as he realised that this must have been what his brother had been lost in thought over earlier that night.

'Are you seriously considering signing up?' The mild-blue hedgehog looked curiously at his brother as he finished his chilidog.

'Yeh..' Jules replied softly a slight smile curved his lips. 'I always wanted to serve Mobius in some way.'

'So why not sign up for the Army?' Charles asked curious as to why he'd want to work as a palace guard rather than a soldier.

'Aw Charlie, that's not for me..' Jules sighed, shaking his head ruefully at his brother's question. 'I don't like the idea of leaving home… I'm just not ready for that right now.' The cobalt hedgehog flashed Charles a slightly coy smile. The mild-blue hedgehog was touched by his little brother's admission that he didn't want leave him just yet and a gave a smile back, grateful for his honesty. He wasn't ready for Jules to leave home either but he would never dream of stopping him if that had been what he wanted.

'Besides, they issue firearms as part of standard kit in the Army and you of all Mobians know how I feel about them.' The cobalt sixteen year old hedgehog sounded firmly, a frown forming on his brows at the thought of the Overlander-invention.

'And they don't use them in the Royal Guard?' Charles asked inquisitively. He didn't know a whole lot about how the guards at the palace operated. This question made Jules perk up, finally he knew something his brother did not.

'No. They carry swords rather than guns.' The cobalt hedgehog replied brightly. 'I've passed them while they've been on patrol around the palace.' He added this part rather proudly as his delivery job had let him see many different aspects of Mobotroplis he would not have seen otherwise. Charles nodded thoughtfully noting that Jules looked excited by this new career idea. The mild-blue hedgehog had no doubts about his brother getting in. He had excellent hand-eye coordination and he was a fast learner, when he actually put his mind on the task at hand.

'Well, if this is really what you want to do Jules then I'm happy for you..' Charles' smile widened at his brother. '-and I'll help you out any way I can.'

'You will?' Jules' expression turned to mild surprise before the smile returned.

'Of course.' Charles smiled widely. 'I'm your big brother, that's what I'm hear for.' At these words the cobalt-blue hedgehog suddenly had a gleam in his hazel eyes.

'Y'know, I could use your help in designin' and riggin' up an assault course.' Jules looked surprisingly serious now. 'Tig says they only take the best and I wanna make sure I can handle anythin' they dish out..' His gloved hand swished across his body as he smirked widely. Charles quickly cottoned onto what his brother wanted. He wanted this assault course to be difficult and challenging. Most of the ones who tried out for the Royal Guard had had some kind of army barrack training and he would be going in with nothing. Charles couldn't help but smile widely at his brother's idea for an assault course and ideas immediately came to the mild-hedgehog's mind of how he could push his brother to his limit.

'Jules, I'd be honoured to help you out.' Charles sounded amiably, privately thinking that all those childhood tests he'd done on his brother's speed limits would finally pay off. 'But it will have to wait until tomorrow..' The eldest Hedgehog brother yawned then hopped down from the stool, taking with him their dirty plates and dumping them in the sink with the pots. He'd wash them tomorrow when he woke up.

'Yeh, it's late and I'm bushed..' Jules yawned loudly, complete with a long stretch.

'Definitely time for bed now.' Charles sounded in sleepy agreement and both brothers vacated the kitchen, turning out the light as they went.

* * *

Over the next two weeks the two Hedgehog brothers began to settle back into their routines while getting used to the fact that it was now just the two of them in the house. Charles returned to Mobotroplis University, coincidently right at the beginning of Freshers Week when all next year's students were on site getting to know the campus. As a result he was now seeing Lionel on a daily basis and had taken the young lion under his wing, showing him around campus and introducing him to lecturers who he would find helpful and inspiring. His mentor Professor Morgan was glad to have his brightest student back and had been impressed with his ring-restraint gun. So impressed infact that he wanted to share it with the Mobian Council and see how they felt about putting them into circulation. Charles Hedgehog was overwhelmed when his mentor and friend suggested this. If his ring-restraint gun was approved he'd be a legitimate inventor before he'd even achieved his doctorate next year.

Spurred by his success the mild-blue hedgehog began working on a design plan for his little brother's assault course. He started by researching what kind of challenges his brother was likely to run into during interview and introduction to basic training. Once Charles had found out everything he needed to know the mild-blue hedgehog began to design an assault course that would not only test his brother's agility and nerve but also require him to use his speed to it's full potential, which would be his best asset to flash to the Gentlemen of Arms that would be considering him. Lionel, who was now acting as a temporary lab-partner, was keen to offer his input once he learned of Charles' new project. The young blonde lion was pleased that his indecisive best friend finally had a sense of direction about his future and wanted to help any way he could. Lionel even suggested that they call the rest of the crew to help them construct the assault course. The lion knew that Gus, Tig and Sherman would no doubt insist on helping out once they learnt what was going on.

Unbeknown to the two young Mobian scientists their lecturer Professor Morgan was discreetly observing the two of them collaborating on this new project, pleased that Charles now had someone his own age to share ideas with. Nate Morgan himself was not a Mobian, he was an Overlander who had been exiled by his own kind. When he was found in Mobian-territory he had been brought before the King to explain himself. Nate had told the story of how his people did not like his way of thinking and that his ideas of living alongside the Mobians peacefully was 'laughable'. The Overlander assured the hedgehog King that he only wished to join the Mobians and live a peaceful life alongside them. Nate Morgan, being an extraordinarily clever man, had even offered the King his latest invention, Power Rings,. He explained how this new renewable source of energy could be used to power cities and bring Mobians into a new 'Golden Age' of 'green' technology which would not destroy the planet they lived on. The King of Mobius at the time, which had been the current King's father, had been so impressed with Nate's brilliance that he not only readily granted him rights to live amongst his Mobian-citizens he insisted that Morgan was made Minister of Science and in charge of seeing that Mobotroplis and the rest of Mobius was brought forward into the future. Under this King's rule Nate Morgan flourished and with him so did Mobius. And by the time the new King was crowned the aging Overlander was ready to retire from his position of Minister of Science. He left the Mobian Council and settled into Mobotroplis University to help hone young scientists to carry on the work he had started..

* * *

While Charles was re-immersing himself back into his University studies Jules had begun working out, getting himself ready for his chance to show the Royal Guard what he was made of. As well as going out for a daily training run, he was back doing press-ups, sit-ups and weight lifting. He was fitting his workouts and training runs around his delivery job at Lickety-Split Pizzas which meant that he was barely seeing his brother during the day at all. The two brothers had started leaving little notes on sticky labels stuck to the fridge as a means of keeping in touch. These ranged from little shopping reminders to where they were going to be that day so the other wouldn't worry.

At first Jules found his new training routine hard to stick to but after the first week of persevering through it the cobalt hedgehog was beginning to notice a difference. His stamina was improving as he was able to run faster for longer, his body shape was beginning to change and become more toned and the hedgehog was beginning to experiment with different ways to use his speed. How the cobalt teen had discovered his speed could be used for more than just getting from A to B and back again had been a complete accident. During one of his training runs Jules had accidentally tripped over a tree root while running at a comfortable running speed of one hundred and twenty kilometres an hour. The result of this had caused the teenage cobalt hedgehog to spin around at an incredible speed for a further kilometre before he crashed upside down with his back against a tree. Although he was irritated with himself for not noticing the sticking out root he was also curious about how far he'd spun and whether or not this spin could be controlled. So after that day Jules began experimenting with the discovery of this new move by running and spinning in sequence. It took a little while to get the balance and speed needed to control this spin but after a week and a half of perfecting it Jules finally had this new move mastered. Proud of himself for his achievement the cobalt hedgehog began to incorporate this new 'spin-dash' move into his training run. Using the move to move across small sections of water, launching himself off of fallen trees and into the air and flying across large section of land before landing and running on. Due to his busy schedule Jules was too tired to deal with any aspect of the design of his assault course but that didn't matter because Charles and Lionel seemed to have completely taken over that side of his training. The two of them were not letting him see any aspect of his course saying they wanted to keep it a surprise until it was complete, so in retaliation Jules decided to keep his new 'spin-dash' move to himself so he had something to surprise them with too.

By the end of his third week of training Jules worked up enough courage to head on down to the royal palace in Mobotroplis and sign himself up with the other potential-cadets of the Royal Guard. The cobalt-blue teenage hedgehog brushed his quiff of blue quills with his gloved fingers as he waited for his turn to see the recruitment officer. He had scoped his completion out as he had entered the building where potential cadets had been sent to upon arrival at the royal palace. When it was Jules' turn to go into the small office he found himself face to face with a kind-looking Mobian fox with short light brown curls and blonde fur. His sky blue eyes surveyed the cobalt teenage hedgehog curiously as he entered the room and took the seat in front of him.

'Amadeus Prower, nice to meet you.' The twenty-something fox suddenly smiled at Jules, extending a hand in greeting which the sixteen year old hedgehog shook.

'Jules Hedgehog..' He replied, feeling justified to introduce himself since the fox had already done so.

'So…' Amadeus sighed gently as if looking to get this over with quickly. '-thinking of joining the Royal Guard, are you?' He asked casually causing Jules to blink then smile.

'Yes, I want to serve Mobius to the best of my ability.' The cobalt hedgehog replied seriously and his reply made Amadeus kink a brow though it was hard to say whether he was impressed or surprised by this answer.

'You could have just joined the Army, y'know..' Amadeus finally responded as curiosity crossed his features.

'The Army doesn't suit my needs.' Jules said in answer to this statement and again Amadeus looked intrigued.

'May I ask why not?' The fox asked politely as his hands clasped together on the desk.

'Because I don't agree with the Army's leniency towards firearms.' The cobalt hedgehog couldn't help the scowl of disgust as these words escaped him. For a long moment Amadeus seemed to look at the hedgehog as if seeing him plainly. Then amazingly he smiled lightly.

'Well that would make two of us then.' The twenty-something fox replied softly before picking up a stapled questionnaire and holding it out towards Jules. The hedgehog took the stapled sheets curiously and scanned the first few questions on it.

'You don't agree with Mobians carrying guns either?' The cobalt hedgehog's hazel eyes returned to look curiously at the blonde-furred fox.

'No. I don't.' He responded firmly, his sky blue eyes flashed in a breif moment of warning to show that Jules wasn't really supposed to be asking him questions. 'Alright, fill that questionnaire out and return it within a week and we'll be in touch with details regarding training trails.' Amadeus got up from his desk and as Jules got out of his seat the Mobian fox began ushering him to the door. 'We only accept the best amongst our ranks so good luck.' Amadeus flashed the teenage hedgehog a genuine smile.

'Thanks, but I won't need it..' Jules sounded confidently, crossing his arms and closing his eyes with a self-assured smile.

'In that case I look forward to seeing what you have to offer Hedgehog.' Amadeus kinked a brow, now he really was intrigued by this potential-cadet before him. Jules saluted to the Royal Guard recruitment officer and turned walking away from the building with his questionnaire rolled up in his hand. Amadeus Prower watched the young hedgehog disappear, still intrigued to see what he had to offer the Royal Guard. The fox then turned and signalled for the next candidate to come forward..

* * *

_Little Notes:_

_Hey peeps, another chapter up for you and thank you to everybody who is taking the time to read this. I know breaking into a new section is tough, especially one which is as active with updates as this one but every view means something. Hopefully reviews will pick up as the chapters go on and I do accept guest reviews so if you don't have an account or are too lazy to log in, I've gotcha covered._

_Ok, some new characters introduced here which are from both SATAM and Sonic Underground that are either parents or heroes of Sonic and his friends. My reasons for basing my fic around these shows are simply because I like them and I just can't take Robotnick/Eggman seriously in anything else. I loved how dark and sinister he was in these shows and recently Eggman has become somewhat of a joke compared to his former self, but I blame bad writing and new censorship laws for that. Anyway enough ranting about him, he's not part of the story… yet._

_I hope you'll stick around for more soon!_

_~Ditzy_

_P.S. Although I'm not a massive Sonic X fan I threw in a little nod towards Project Shadow! Cause I actually like Shadow.. X_


	3. What A Knockout!

**A Tale of Two Brothers**

_Hey Peeps, I don't own anything related to Sonic or his universe, that's SEGA and all other companies relevant to the creation of his various back-stories, and even though most of them have tanked it now that is besides the point… Honestly, I actually own very little in this fic (next to nothing to be exact) but this is __my__ story and even though I am using characters from Archie, DiC and SEGA I will be fleshing many of them out because they were only 2-dimensional so in some ways they will appear very OC… hopefully you'll bear with me! Anyway, I've bored you to tears with this disclaimer so enjoy… and let me know what you think! X_

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**Review Replies:**

**NyxSeth27: Glad you like this chap hun, this one's slightly longer as I wanted to introduce a few new characters and try to get this fic going a bit quicker! X**

**Slayer 666; The parents I use in this fic will give you clues to what kids are going to be in this. Though this fic will end when most of them are babies and toddlers as this focuses more on the parents. Though it's funny you should mention Sally's parents because they get a slight mention in this chapter and will be appearing later. Although Max is obviously not King in this story he will be in a pretty high-powered job (which I won't give away just yet). As for Manic and Sonia, I honestly don't know if I'll use them yet, I'll have to get back to you on that… I hope you are enjoying the fic though! X**

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**Chapter Three:****What A Knockout!**

Grunts and groans broke the usual serenity around the northern lip of Knothole's small crystal blue lake. Then with these straining noises an array of nets, heavy logs and sand bags were all strategically placed to form and impressive assault course.

'Easy… easy… little to the left..' The blonde lion adjusted his rounded spectacles as he oversaw the final log beam being erected to create a colossal climbing net over the water of the lake. 'Perfect!' The lion declared brightly as a white and silver-striped tiger and a navy walrus secured the post in place while a towering white polar bear held it's position securely. It had not been hard for Charles and Lionel to convince the rest of Jules' friends to help them build the assault course for their cobalt-blue best friend. In fact, the moment the others heard that the two of them were rigging up the course to help the sixteen year old hedgehog train for the Royal Guard they insisted in helping. Both Sherman and Tig were now on their first R&R break from their divisions in the Mobian Army so they had two weeks of freedom before they were recalled into the barracks. They hadn't planned their time off it was just a happy coincidence and the fact that it coincided with Gus' final days in Mobotroplis made it even better.

'Alright Gus, you can let go now..' Sherman grinned up at the large polar bear and Gus gingerly released his hold on the large wooden pole, which didn't even budge proving it was secure. With only a couple of weeks left until he was due to leave for the Artic Regions Gus had been keen to support his cobalt best friend any way he could and his gigantic size and strength certainly came in handy during the construction of the assault course. With the last post in place Sherman, Tig and Gus all backed away so they could take in the newly constructed course. Lionel looked at Charles and they exchanged a grin before they admired their joint design effort. It had taken the five of them a whole week to assemble but they'd managed to construct the whole thing without Jules even getting a hint of it. Admittedly this wasn't too hard as the cobalt sixteen year old hedgehog was either off training or out working.

'Well Chuck, if this doesn't challenge your brother nothing will.' Lionel said cheerily with a warm smile towards the elder mild-blue hedgehog.

'Oh this'll challenge Juice, it's gotta be the hardest course I've ever seen!' Tig exclaimed as his grey eyes surveyed the difficult course. The nets were high above the edge of the lake while the gaps between the challenges were almost impossible without Jules' speed. The course started out behind the Hedgehog family home and began with a run through the forest, a forty-five degree run up a fallen tree led to a swing which would propel the teen hedgehog towards the first net. After this net he would have to bounce through a succession of old tyres and strategically placed obstacles towards the second net which hung out over the edge of the lake. This was necessary as due to the height of the net the deep water below would soften the blow of a fall. The second net was the last built obstacle but Jules had to find a way across the expanse of water to the finish at the other shore.

'It sure is!' Sherman agreed as his eyes scanned the huge course. 'Not even the Army courses are this tough, you guys sure Juice call do this?' The walrus blinked towards the mild-blue hedgehog and Charles smirked in response.

'Oh Jules can handle this.. Trust me.' The mild-blue hedgehog responded lightly, he had calculated everything out precisely based on the results of the speed and agility tests he'd done on his brother.

'If anyone can pull this off it's Juice.' Lionel grinned. 'He wouldn't say no to a challenge like this.'

'Well I wanna be here for the maiden run, I have to see how he's gonna pull this off..' Gus sounded jovially.

'Me too.' Sherman added excitedly, his eyes widening as he tried to imagine his friend on the course.

'Well, stick around for the unveiling..' Charles threw the large polar bear a smile. 'Jules should be back from his shift at Lickety-Splits soon..'

'In that case boys we better get back to the house before he does.' Tig declared and immediately the five of them turned away from the course and headed back towards the Hedgehog home.

* * *

'Charlie..?' Jules called out as he entered the front door of the home he shared with his brother. There was no response to his call but this didn't bother the cobalt teenage hedgehog. If his brother was in his make-shift lab, which used to be the dining room, then his mild-blue brother was often too deep in his tinkering to hear him. Jules headed down the hallway towards the former dining room and pushed open the door, expecting to find his older brother immersed in his latest 'idea'. The cobalt hedgehog's hazel eyes widened in surprise when he found the room empty. It wasn't like Charles not to be working on something.. As Jules pondered the whereabouts of his older brother he wandered idly towards the kitchen at the back of the house, perhaps the fridge door would provide a clue. However when the cobalt hedgehog arrived in front of the fridge he blinked at the sticky note in Charles' writing: _Come outside__…_Jules rolled his eyes though he was more curious than irked to see what his brother was planning. Deciding to quench his thirst before indulging his big brother's whims the cobalt teen opened the fridge and pulled out a carton of orange juice. He then grabbed a glass off the drying rack and filled it with the soft yellowy-orange liquid before putting the carton back in the fridge again. Downing the citrusy drink and enjoying the burst that sent his taste-buds into a tizzy, Jules smacked his lips before dumping the glass in the sink basin and heading out towards the door leading to the garage.

When the cobalt teen exited the log-cabin through the garage where Charles kept his motorbike Jules' warm hazel eyes narrowed as he couldn't see his brother. His pointed ears suddenly twitched as the cobalt hedgehog picked up the sounds of laughter from further around the log-cabin. Following the sounds Jules turned the corner to find not only Charles but his four best friends waiting there too.

'So… what's up guys?' The sound of his curious voice made everyone turn in the direction of the cobalt sixteen year old hedgehog. Jules' eyebrow was kinking intrigued by this little gathering which had been hiding in a blind-spot.

'_Juice!_' His four best friends declared brightly upon setting sights on their best friend as Charles grinned.

'Your just in time buddy!' Tig sounded moving behind his best friend and gripping Jules' shoulders, forcing the hedgehog forward as the five of them walked together down the gap between the forest trees, away from the house.

'In time for what?' The cobalt teenage hedgehog allowed his friends and older brother to lead him into the forest.

'To test out the new assault course Chuck and I have been working on.' Lionel sounded from one side of Tig and Jules while Charles walked at the other. Sherman and Gus walked on either end forming a straight line.

'You guys finished it?' Jules blinked in amazement.

'Sure.' Charles smiled widely at his little brother. 'Your friends and I just finished it off this afternoon.' The mild-blue hedgehog brushed his moustache as he smirked.

'_Oh_..' Jules' eyes narrowed with understanding now. 'So you all decided to stick around and watch me try it out, huh?'

'Sure did.' Sherman chipped in.

'Wouldn't miss it for the world.' Gus added in his low rich tones.

'Really?' The teenage hedgehog blinked in surprise before turning his head and quills to look at his brother. 'What kind of course did you make?' Charles couldn't help but chuckle at his brother's words.

'You'll see..' The mild-blue hedgehog flashed his brother a smile that gave nothing away. As they rounded the corner Jules' hazel eyes widened in shock and awe as the start of the course came into view.

'_Whoa__…_' The cobalt blue teenager stared in amazement at what parts of the course he could see. This was the run up to the leaning log, a swing in the distance and the top of the towering second net which was just poking above the tree-line canopy in the distance, everything else was obscured by natural turns and the greenery of the forest around them. 'This looks intense.' Jules added after a long moment of staring, trying to take in the staggering work the five of them had carried out just for him.

'It should be.' Charles spoke causing his brother to turn his hazel eyes to him. 'This course is designed to really test you.'

'So I see..' Jules smirked slightly. '-I was expecting something similar to what I'd get in cadet training at the royal palace, but this… _this is awesome!_' The cobalt hedgehog declared enthusiastically with a slight bounce backwards as he spun around to face all his friends at once.

'Well that was my original idea..' Charles began as he brushed his mild-blue moustache casually.

'-but I convinced him not to go that route.' Lionel added with a smile.

'There's no point Juice, you made my dad's old assault course look easy and that's built to Mobian Army standards, you'll ace the Royal Guards without even trying..' Tig chipped in, slapping the cobalt sixteen year old hedgehog across the back, carefully avoiding his sharp pointed back-quills. The silver-striped teenage tiger could clearly remember the previous summer when Jules had agreed to help him train so he was in peak condition. The cobalt hedgehog had easily sped over the course in the Stripes family backyard. Even Tig's father newly-retired Commander Stripes had been impressed by his son's best friend, saying Mobius needed more like him.. But the old ex-army tiger's words of praise were not enough to sway Jules into signing up for the military. Not then…

…And not now.

'I hear that..' Gus declared with a low chuckle. 'Now somebody better write to me and tell me when this little road-burner gets in.' The massive polar bear clapped Jules on the shoulder making the sixteen year old hedgehog wobble unsteadily on his feet for a second.

'You know we will..' Sherman beamed widely.

'So what do you say Jules..' Charles suddenly sounded, causing the cobalt hedgehog to turn and gaze into the pale blue eyes of his older brother. 'You ready to give this course a test run?' The mild blue hedgehog smiled warmly at his little brother as he said this and immediately it was followed by the excitable noises of Jules' four best friends. Their words merely washed over the cobalt teen as he pretended to consider his brother's question.

'Is the grass green and the sky blue?' Jules finally responded in a jaunty voice as one brow kinked in a cocky 'bring it on' manner. Immediately his friends cheered.

'Knew you couldn't resist Juice!' Lionel cried out.

'Come on Chuck, you heard the hedgehog, let's get him to the starting line.' Tig laughed freely as both Sherman and Gus grinned animatedly.

A few moments later Jules found himself standing behind a line that had been scored out of the dirt of the Great Forest floor. Beside him stood Lionel holding a plain coloured flag which he'd wave to signal the starting time and next to the blonde lion was Charles holding a small stopwatch in his hand, intending to time his little cobalt brother as he sped through the course laid out in front. Tig, Sherman and Gus had all disappeared up nearby trees to get a good overall view of the tricky course so they could observe their best friend's progress.

'Remember Jules, this is your first time on the course..' Charles was saying seriously to his brother. 'Just take it easy and learn the layout before you-' The mild blue older hedgehog's words were suddenly cut off by an impatient flick of his little brother's wrist.

'Yeh, yeh, yeh.. Whatever Charlie.' The cobalt sixteen year old hedgehog rolled his hazel eyes at his older brother, not really listening to what Charles had been saying. He'd run enough assault courses to know what to expect, how was this going to be any different? In response to his little brother's dismissive words the mild blue hedgehog with the neat moustache and bushy brows raised his hands in defeat. If his brother wanted to just barrel through this course and learn the hard way that was his choice..

'Ok but don't say I didn't warn you then..' Charles sighed wearily, backing away to let the blonde lion beside him have enough room to wave the starting flag.

'Ready?' Lionel flashed his best friend a smile and the cobalt teen gave a sharp nod. 'On your marks..' Immediately following Lionel's words Jules dropped down to a starting position which his gloved hands resting comfortably on the ground and one foot in front of the other. 'Get set..' The cobalt hedgehog's eyes narrowed as he raised himself slightly, his full focus on the dust-track in front of him.

'_Go!_' As the blonde lion swung the flag Jules shot off in a blur of blue quills, disappearing down the track towards the first obstacle. The second the blonde lion had swung the flag Charles clicked the start of the stopwatch then twiddled his moustache anxiously with his free hand.

'Please don't run too fast little brother..' He murmured to himself in a soft worried tone which reflected in his pale blue eyes…

* * *

…As Jules Hedgehog sprinted down the dirt track, speeding his way towards the first obstacle his older brother's words of caution were still niggling in the back of his mind.. Charles always worried too much when it came to his running speed. Probably because when he was a youngster Jules was forever covered in bumps and bruises received from running or skidding and crashing into things as he learnt to handle his speed. Sure, the cobalt hedgehog had even knocked himself out a few times when he was a hedgehoglet but he wasn't a kid anymore. He knew how to handle himself, there was no need for Charles to keep worrying.. The trees of the forest around him blurred passed as the cobalt hedgehog approached the fallen log at the forty-five degree angle. Jules bounced up onto the leaning log and rapidly tottered his way to the tip before jumping to the swing and hurtling onto the first net. It took him around ten seconds to clamber his way to the top of the net and even less time to slide back down the other side. The cobalt teen hedgehog hurtled towards the tires dotted in front of him and quickly dipped his feet in and out of them. He knew he was making good time with this run, although his exact time could only be told by Charles the sixteen year old hedgehog was certain he was somewhere between near the fifty second mark. Was this course supposed to be challenging? He was sure Lionel and his older brother had said it was but Jules was still waiting for the 'challenge' to jump out at him. Feeling slightly cocky now and spurred on by his good time the cobalt teen swerved through the upright logs and ducked under a strategically placed fallen log that acted like a tunnel. As he shot out the other end Jules glanced back… this course way too easy!

This split second glance back turned out to be a huge mistake as unbeknown to Jules the course veered around at a surprisingly-sharp sixty degree right turn towards the lake for the final net. As the cobalt hedgehog turned back his hazel eyes widened in alarm as he realised too late he had over-shot the sudden turn-off and an enormous redwood tree appeared in his path. Slamming his feet to the ground far too late Jules skidded into it's wide trunk with an alarming..

…_Smack!_

And everything went black.

* * *

The first thing that returned to the cobalt sixteen year old hedgehog was the immense sense of throbbing pain on the left-hand side of his face, centred around his left eye.

'_Oohhhh..!-!_' A deep and slightly groggy groan absent-mindedly slipped out from Jules, sounding almost foreign to the cobalt hedgehog as he slowly returned from the darkness. He was lying on something soft and warm but it was not long enough to be a bed so it had to be one of the couches in the living room. The sound of movement immediately followed his unfamiliar groan, it sounded a bit like somebody nearby moving closer. The next second this Mobian touched the his heavy hand nearest them.

'_Julius_..' A soft voice sounded, laced with concern and a mixture of subtle delight and relief. It was his brother Charles' voice but it sounded almost distant and the cobalt hedgehog had to really concentrate as the hand clutching his squeezed tentatively. 'Little brother, say something..'

'_Ahowwww!__'_The sharp throbbing pain in his head stabbed sharper this time and with it his sense of awareness returned and he became conscious of his own painful groan. Jules moved his head slightly from side to side as a slight sense of dizziness washed over him but was quickly replaced by nausea. Gingerly lifting the hand that Charles wasn't holding the cobalt teen moved it up to his eye and touched his eye. Immediately the ache was intensified by his touch so he lowered his hand again.

'Charlie?' Jules croaked gently and his older brother let out a gasp as his fingers clutched his brother's tighter.

'Yes Jules.. I'm here little brother..' Charles voice sounded soothingly and Jules felt his brother's other hand run through his quiff of quills gently.

'I've a shiner, don't I?' The cobalt teen added grimly, he tentatively flickered his eyelids and opened them just enough to peep out to his older brother who was knelt beside the couch. For a moment the mild blue hedgehog swam hazily in Jules' focus before he came properly into sight, just in time for Charles to frown faintly, more out of concern than anger.

'Yeh, you do.' The older Hedgehog brother replied with a soft sigh. The disappointment was not missed by the younger brother who pulled his hand out of Charles' and pushed himself up into a sitting position, realising as he did so his head hand been resting on a pillow rather than a cushion. Wincing slightly as his body felt incredibly stiff from being out for so long. Once he was in a more comfortable position with both feet resting on the seat of the couch rather than hanging off the side Jules tentatively opened his eyes wider, the pain of his bruised left-eye making him grimace. Now that he was upright the wave of nausea passed allowing the cobalt teen to become aware of the dimly lit living room. It was now dark outside and the room was lit by one nearby table lamp.

'How are you feeling?' Charles asked gently, his hands clasping together as he set his elbows on the side of the couch seat and lent his chin on his knuckles.

'Stiff and sore..' Jules responded with a weak smile and Charles clicked his tongue sympathetically.

'That's to be expected..' The older hedgehog murmured. 'No dizziness or nausea?' He added as his pale blue eyes flashed anxiously.

'I did but it's passed now..' Jules replied honestly.

'That's good. At least you haven't concussed yourself..' Charles smiled before picking up an untouched glass of water from the table he'd placed there earlier for his brother when he came to. Jules accepted it gratefully, his mouth feeling dry as a desire to quench his thirst pulsed through him.

'How long was I out?' The cobalt teen asked curiously now, also noting that Charles was the only one in the room meaning his friends must have gone home.

'Four, maybe five hours..' Charles replied unsurely before adding in a slightly disapproving tone. 'You must have been going at a speed of at least ninety-five kilometres when you crashed into the tree. What happened Jules? I told you to take it slow.' The cobalt hedgehog's pointed ears drooped slightly as a sheepish grin crossed his face.

'I got cocky..' Jules responded as his guilty manner made him look like a naughty school kid. His response made Charles sigh heavily, disappointment clearly showing on his face now.

'_Julius_.' The mild blue hedgehog rubbed his forehead just above his bushy brows. 'What have I told you about just barrelling through things without thinking, your gonna get yourself seriously hurt, or worse, _killed_ if you don't start using your brain.' He shook his head and threw his brother a scowl.

'Ah Charlie..' Jules threw a fleeting scowl back, his bruised eye making it difficult to sustain for long. His older brother sounded just like their deceased father now. 'I didn't mean to throw myself into a tree. It was an accident.'

'Still, it could have been avoided if you'd just taken it slow.' Charles replied with a bite of annoyance in his rebuke. This caused Jules to shrink into the pillow he was leaning on, his pointed ears remaining drooped at the side of his face.

'Alright, I deserved that, I guess..' Jules raised his hands carefully in defeat. 'I'm sorry for not listening to you and making you worry. We even now bro?' His hazel eyes flashed apologetically to his elder brother, he didn't want to argue with him so soon after coming around. Charles smiled with a little relief and smiled grateful for the admission of guilt.

'Yeh, we're even.' The mild blue hedgehog lifted his head and brushed his moustache vaguely.

'I take it the guys went home after I blacked out.' Jules asked causing his older brother to nod, confirming his suspicions.

'Yeh, but I promised to call them when you came around.' Charles replied then stretched out and picked up a small cordless phone from the side before his expression brightened as he remembered something. 'Which reminds me, an officer from the Royal Guard called while you were out cold.'

'Oh yeh?' Jules kinked a brow intrigued, this was the information he'd been waiting for ever since he'd handed his questionnaire back into the palace.

'They're holding a physical trail for all new cadet-applicants in three weeks at their training grounds and you've to be there for precisely ten o'clock.' Charles said casually before dialling in a number and walking casually away from his brother with the small phone to his pointed ear.

'Hello.. is Tiger home?' The mild blue hedgehog was saying as Jules took another swig of water before his tongue ran over his teeth. He then paused as he reached a rough edge and his brows knitted in confusion. 'Yes, thank you, tell him it's Charles calling about Jules..' Clearly the older hedgehog had gotten one of Tig's parents. While he waited his little brother spotted a small mirror on the table beside the coaster his glass had been sat on. Picking it up he lifted it to inspect his eye. Upon seeing the swollen black bruise covering his left eye Jules winced as he tentatively poked the inflamed skin, this wasn't going to leave him in a hurry. His tongue then rubbed the rough tooth that seemed to be broken then he lowered his finger to his mouth and smiled widely into the mirror. The moment his lips parted and revealed his teeth the cause of his 'rough' tooth was obvious. One of his right-hand incisors had a large chip missing, creating a small imperfection in his otherwise perfectly square teeth. Jules grinned into the mirror, admiring this small blemish in his otherwise perfect smile. Sure, he'd have to call his dentist and have the tooth capped but perhaps he'd ask him to just cover the gap and not recreate the missing bit of tooth. This imperfection looked pretty cool in his eyes.

'Hello, Tiger?' Charles sounded, finally getting hold of Tig. 'Yes, he's fine. Just came around a few minutes ago..' There was a pause. 'Yeh, he just has a black shiner-'

'And I chipped a tooth!' Jules hollered out causing Charles to turn back to his little brother and stare as his little brother grinned widely, displaying the chip. The older hedgehog rolled his pale blue eyes in disbelief. 'And a chipped tooth.' He repeated his brother's words. 'Yeh, that's it. Oh you know Jules, he'll probably be up and about tomorrow… could you pass the news on to the others for me? Thanks, bye.' The mild blue hedgehog then hung up the phone and turned back to his little brother.

'Your gonna have to call the dentist tomorrow and book an appointment.' Charles sounded seriously as he put the phone back in its holder.

'Yeh, I know.' Jules responded casually, pulling the mirror back to his face and grinning in the mirror again. 'But I kinda like this little gap. Looks good.' Charles lowered his head into his hand and rubbed the pale-skinned bridge of his black nose in disbeleif, his brother's ability to find an upside to everything was amazing..

* * *

Augustus' last two weeks in Mobotroplis rolled by quickly and all too soon it was his last night before he left for his homeland of the Artic Regions. And true to their word Jules, Lionel, Sherman and Tig headed out with Gus to Macey's for their last night out together. They planned to make it a night they'd never forget. Despite trying to convince Charles to come out too the elder hedgehog refused. In the past two weeks Professor Nate Morgan had taken Charles' ring-restraint gun designs and blueprints to the Mobian Council. After hearing about the nearly twenty year old hedgehog that had invented it the impressed Council were keen to meet the brilliant young Mobian for themselves. So the Mobian Council of Ministers invited Charles to attend their annual symposium to demonstrate his invention to them in person. Since this was such a big deal to mild-blue hedgehog the others didn't push him to come out, though Charles did send his farewell out with his little brother for the Mobian polar bear.

The fact that Jules' older brother wasn't coming didn't bother any of the four teens and without him around the cobalt hedgehog was more relaxed. At least this way he didn't have to be conscious of what Charles thought of his behaviour, he could just be himself. As an added bonus Jules' black eye had just finished healing up so he no longer had to worry about what Mobians would think when they saw his face. Jules had dropped into Lickety Split Pizzas the day after it had happened to tell Mr Raccoon about his try-out for the Royal Guard. The middle-aged raccoon-Mobian had stared in shock at his swollen left-eye socket before laughing when he learnt how Jules had really 'obtained' the injury. Although the owner of the pizza takeaway was fine with the try-outs, he thought it was about time Jules moved onto a more serious job anyway, he was less than happy with the black eye and what his customers might think if they saw it… As a result the cobalt teen had to use a few sick days until the swelling had gone down enough for Mr Raccoon's satisfaction so the hedgehog could return to work.

'Alright boys, it's Gus' last night with us so we have to make this the best night ever!' Jules declared brightly with a wide grin that flashed the chip on the right-hand side of his mouth, the only permanent reminder of his run in with the tree. Although his dentist thought Jules was mad for wanting to keep this gap the chip had created the medical practitioner complied with the cobalt hedgehog's wishes and only filled the gap as requested.

'Darn right!' Tig exclaimed as he extended one clawed hand upwards to rub the massive polar bear's shoulder. 'We don't want the big guy to ever forget us!'

'Aw, like I could forget my bros..' Gus smirked affectionately and the others cheered and laughed together, heading down the steps to the doors at the bottom.

'Does anyone know who's playing tonight?' Lionel asked as the strings of music strained upwards through the closed doors.

'Nah, not a clue..' Sherman replied with a casual shrug.

'Who cares!' Jules laughed out in amusement. 'But if they suck as much as they did the last time we were here I'll get up there and play just to spare the crowd!'

'Oh-hoh!' Tig sniggered in amusement. 'Now I kinda hope they do suck just so I can see that happen..' He flashed the kind of look to the cobalt hedgehog that hoped his best friend was going to stay true to his word.

'Same here..' Sherman quipped in a similar jovial tone. Although the idea of Jules getting up on stage and singing was amusing to his friends it was no secret that he could strum a guitar pretty well. The four of them then pushed they're way through the double doors and the music volume increased greatly. As four of the friends made there way to their regular booth Tig split away and headed towards the bar to get the first drinks..

* * *

'We really shouldn't be in this side of town..' A red-furred female echidna with long quills braided with white ribbons sounded nervously as her minty-green eyes looked around downtown Mobotroplis with unease. 'Our parents would be horrified if they ever found out we'd been down 'mingling with the commoners' in this way.' She looked around the dirty street and lifted the hem of her pretty yellow skirt so she wouldn't get it dirty. She then hurried to follow her hooded-companion who was walking a little ahead.

'Will you relax Lara-Le, they won't ever find out we were here, I promise.' Her friend looked back revealing her face. She was a petit female hedgehog with soft lilac-fur, a pale-skinned muzzle and huge emerald green eyes. She flashed a warm smile to her anxious friend, who'd reluctantly agreed to come with her in the first place.

'They better not. My father would never let me out again.' The female echidna huffed snootily, still struggling to keep up with her friend who was leading her further away from the aristocratic side of Mobotroplis. There was silence as the two upper-class girls travelled further into the maze of city streets.

'Where exactly are we going anyway?' Lara-Le spoke up again, clearly unable to restrain her curiosity any longer.

'There's a club around here somewhere, I overheard a couple of guards talking about it, apparently the music is really good!' The lilac hedgehog exclaimed excitedly before her tiny hand gripped the upper arm of her friend and she yanked the echidna down an alleyway.

'What?' Lara-Le squealed out in shock, forced to follow her friend. 'Princess, you can't be serious! We snuck out just to go to some place you heard about through guards!' The red-furred echidna's eyes widened in slight outrage and panic.

'_Shh..!_' The royal hedgehog hissed, pressing a slim finger to her lips as her friend scowled at her. 'Do you _want_ us to get caught?' The lilac hedgehog scowled irritably. Immediately Lara-Le's expression softened a little. The princess smiled gently at the red-furred echidna who had loyally followed her here despite her complaints. 'Now we've come this far, haven't we? We may as well see what this place is like..' The lilac hedgehog concluded in a soft coaxing voice causing her friend to squirm unsurely on the spot. 'And if the Mobians there are really as uncouth as our peers make out we'll leave straight away..'

'You promise Aleena?' Lara-Le asked gently, her minty-green eyes widening hopeful for reassurance.

'Of course Lara-Le. You are my most trusted friend in the whole of Mobius.' Princess Aleena replied, her smile sweetened to her friend. The red-furred echidna's eyes widened emotionally, touched by the Princess of Mobius' words.

'_Ohh_.. you're _my _most trusted friend too!' Lara-Le said as small tears formed in her eyes. Immediately the two Mobian-girls embraced in a warm cuddle before pulling away and gazing at each other again.

'There's nobody I'd rather be down here with right now..' Princess Aleena sounded as she flicked her emotional tears away and threw her best friend a serious look. 'Are you with me Lara-Le?'

'I wouldn't be much of a friend to you if I said no, would I your highness?' The red-furred echidna replied with a smile as she wiped her tears away and took the princess' hand in her own gentle hand. The petit lilac hedgehog's smile widened at her best friend.

'Then let's go find this club!' She declared valiantly before the two Mobian-girls took off down the alleyway, careful not to attract attention to themselves…

* * *

'What in Mobius happened to Tig!' Jules' warm hazel eyes narrowed slightly as he scanned the room for his missing best friend.

'Heh, relax Juice. He's probably chatting up some girl.' Sherman sounded leaning back in his usual seat opposite the cobalt teen.

'Yeh, you know what he's like..' Lionel replied with a smile. The sixteen year old hedgehog merely drummed his fingers and twisted in his seat again looking around once more.

'Yeh, yeh, Tig's a ladies' feline I know, I know.' Jules sighed impatiently. 'But if I thought he was gonna be this long I'da got the drinks myself!' The hedgehog kicked the leg of the table nearest him, using it to vent his frustration at being ditched by his best friend. Tiger Stripes had always had an eye for pretty girls and never passed up the chance to lay on the charm if the opportunity presented itself. Now he was in the Mobian Army his chances had greatly diminished.

'Hey guys!' The white and silver-stripped tiger grinned setting down a large tray of drinks in front of his friends.

'Oh. _Finally_.' Jules uttered under his breath in annoyance. The sixteen year old hedgehog stretched forward and picked up his root beer and took a swig.

'Look who I ran into at the bar..' Tig carried on as though Jules had said nothing. All four of the Mobian teens sitting glanced around to see who Tig had brought with him. Beside the white and silver-striped tiger was a slim female black and white cat with a long quiff of white fur that completely covered one of her blue eyes.

'Hi fellas.' The cat beamed widely around the group as she looked around her old school mates, adjusting her denim vest and green scarf as she did.

'_Cocoa_!' The guys all stared in surprise at her as she slipped into the seat beside Jules, which was Tig's usual seat. The cobalt hedgehog flashed the female cat a breif scowl but Tig had already taken the seat by Lionel so he didn't raise the issue.

'Tiger told me it was Gus' last night here and I had to come over and say my goodbyes.' Cocoa explained airily before turning to the Mobian polar bear. 'I know I haven't seen much of you since we all left Acorn Academy but I didn't think it would be right if I didn't come over. Especially since we used to be study buddies..'

'It's much appreciated Cocoa.' The Mobian polar bear smiled widely.

'As were your map-reading tips..' The black and white cat raised her cream-like drink with a smile. The two shared a slight laugh of amusement at this private little joke.

'So Cocoa, what are you doing with yourself these days?' Lionel chipped in as the cat took a drink out of her glass.

'I'm at Mobius University studying a teaching degree.' Cocoa replied lightly causing the blonde lion to kink a brow intrigued.

'Really. I've never seen you on campus..' Lionel stated matter-of-factly.

'I guess we must keep missing each other because I heard you were at Mobi-U too but I've never seen you about either..' The black and white cat laughed freely at her own words.

'So what you wanna teach when you get your degree?' Sherman asked curiously, dragging Cocoa's attention onto him..

'Physical Education..' The female cat replied lightly. 'That was your favourite class, right Jules?'

'Yeh, it was..' The cobalt hedgehog responded indifferently, taking another swig of his root beer before turning to the cat beside him. 'So, you still friends with Alice?' He asked curiously.

'Yes.' Cocoa replied, throwing him a curious look, wondering why Jules would want to talk about his ex-girlfriend Alicia after how they broke up.

'How is she?' Jules asked politely.

'She's doing well..' The black and white cat replied with a smile. 'She's, uh, started seeing someone else now.' Cocoa added tentatively, hoping that the cobalt hedgehog would be ok with this information.

'She has?' Jules raised his brows curiously. For a moment Cocoa and the others at the table tensed then relaxed as the cobalt hedgehog smiled. 'That's great, I'm glad she's happy now. What's her new beau like?'

'I honesty don't know.' Cocoa replied. 'I haven't met him yet but Alicia tells me that he's very sweet and despite their age gap I can tell she's really into him too.'

'_Age gap?_' Jules coughed, almost choking on the swig of root beer he'd just taken.

'_Uh_… yeh, the guy she's seeing is at least eight years older than her.' Cocoa sounded softly while Sherman and Tig exchanged a glance with each other. Apparently when Alicia had said to Jules she wanted a more mature guy she wasn't kidding. As silence spiralled over the group another figure appeared at the table.

'Ah, here you are Cocoa, I've been looking everywhere for you.' The sound of this voice distracted them all and caused them to turn to this new voice. Standing at the front of the table was a female tiger with soft orange fur and black stripes with a muzzle of white. Her yellow eyes widened at the group, wondering if she'd spoken out of turn. 'Sorry, was I interrupting?' The girl tiger asked unsurely.

'No, no..' Tig was the first to respond, suddenly looking awe-struck at this new arrival. 'Pull up a seat and join us why don't you?' The male tiger sounded in a low rolling purr.

'Don't bother.' Jules added curtly, pulling himself out of his seat. 'You can have mine, I'm going for a wander.' He then slid out passed Cocoa and gestured the female tiger into his seat.

'Um, thank you.' The female tiger responded sitting down and flashing him a thankful yet confused look.

'Hey Juice, you want one of us to come with you buddy?' Lionel asked curiously while Gus and Sherman both looked concerned. Tig threw his cobalt best friend a half-glance but his attention was soon back on the pretty tiger now sitting opposite him.

'No it's ok, I'll be back in a bit, you guys carry on..' The cobalt hedgehog sighed before heading off into the crowd.

'I am so sorry Ginger..' Cocoa turned to her friend. 'I didn't mean to worry you. I was just catching up with some old friends.'

'Oh, it's ok, I knew you were here _some_where.' The female tiger smiled before her eyes flashed in concern. 'Is he gonna to be ok?'

'Jules will be fine..' Tig suddenly chipped in causing Ginger to glance over at him. 'He always bounces back.' He flashed her a suave and slightly crooked grin.

* * *

At that same moment Princess Aleena and Lara-Le finally arrived outside the club with it's big pink neon sign, which was the only thing visible from the street-level.

'This must be the place..' The lilac hedgehog mused as they gazed at the building before them. 'Let's go inside and see what it's like.' The royal hedgehog sounded keenly as she pulled off the purple scarf that had been covering her head, revealing a head of long blonde quills that curled around her back with two loose bangs framing her face.

'Don't forget to take off your crown.' The red-furred echidna reminded her friend and the princess gasped and raised her delicate hands to her head and removed her royal tiara.

'Oh my gosh, thank you Lara-Le..' Princess Aleena laughed freely. 'That could've been awkward..' She then wrapped her crown up in her purple scarf and shoved it into her white designer handbag. Lara-Le then pushed the double doors open to reveal the darkened reception area. The two upper-class girls gazed slightly confused around.

'This can't be it, can it?' The red-furred echidna asked in bemusement.

'No, look.' Princess Aleena replied with a smile as she spotted the doors at the other side. 'We must have to go through there.' She pointed towards them eagerly. 'I wonder why there's nobody to greet us..' The princess asked her friend still not understanding why there was nobody around in the reception area.

'I don't know, I guess they don't have a greeter.' Lara-Le concluded in the same tone of bemusement. Unknown to these two Mobian-girls Macey's had always been a free-entry club and since violence was rare amongst Mobians there was no real need for bouncers. When trouble did start most of the other patrons inside would usually defuse the situation and turf the trouble-makers out themselves.

'Well that seems odd.' The royal hedgehog added before shrugging.

'I know, but we're not in high society now so I guess they just greet each other.' Lara-Le said gently before the two Mobian-girls pushed open the doors and gingerly descended the steps towards the doors of the club.

'Wow. They don't have a someone to announce your presence either?' Princess Aleena wondered aloud noticing that there was nobody at this door either. 'I guess they just announce themselves then, huh?'

'I guess..' Lara-Le sounded in an agreeable tone.

'I never realised that lower-class Mobians did so much for themselves.' The lilac hedgehog added. 'It must be really liberating not to have to answer to somebody all the time.' She smiled widely. Finally, a place where she was free to just be herself without having to wonder if anybody would see her as 'weird' or 'strange' for not fitting in with everybody else.

'You ready to go inside?' Lara-Le's minty green eyes surveyed her best friend in the dimly lit stairwell.

'Ready as I'll ever be..' Princess Aleena replied, bracing herself for what she might find. The strains of unfamiliar music could be heard from the other side of the double doors. The female echidna put her hands to the doors as the royal lilac hedgehog sighed nervously. With a reassuring smile to each other Lara-Le pushed open the doors and they entered the room. In a single fluid motion the female echidna pushed open the doors and the music inside immediately blared with the kind of volume that would never be found at one of their usual high-society balls.

'Oh my..' Princess Aleena squealed in shock, having to place her dainty pale-skinned fingers over her blonde quills, covering her lilac pointed-ears.

'It's so loud..' Lara-Le added as the red-furred echidna pressed down on the side of the quills covering her own ears. 'How can they stand this volume?'

'Maybe they're deaf..' The royal lilac hedgehog replied.

'They'd have to be to put up with this level of music.' Her echidna friend reasoned solemnly.

'Perhaps our ears will adjust to it the longer we stay.' Princess Aleena sounded matter-of-factly.

'I hope so.' Lara-Le replied with a slight edge of doubt in her voice which suggested she would want to leave if not.

'Come on, let's see if we can find the waiter who has the drinks.' The blonde-quilled princess added, motioning her friend to follow her as the lilac hedgehog moved away from the double doors..

* * *

_Little Notes:_

_Hey peeps! Hope your all enjoying the story and I'm still looking for constructive feedback to help me with my fic so I not only know what readers think but also what they're looking for in future chapters. There are so little fics based on the parents of the main characters and I'm open to suggestions to parental-characters to use so feel free to offer some up… and if I haven't got plans for them already I'll try to squeeze them in. No OC's though as they're too difficult to work around and as I've stated before the parents designs and characters have been altered to make them more OC anyway._

_Ok, the idea for creating Jules' chipped tooth was taken from my own childhood when my own brother chipped my tooth by throwing a sick for our dog while I was still holding onto the leash. I smacked face (mouth) first onto the pavement and had to go to the dentist right away to have it capped… cheers bro, much appreciated! Although, I don't believe for five seconds that someone with Jules' speed (or Sonic's for that matter) could just run around without picking up injuries as they learned to handle themselves or practicing new tricks. That and I want to project a sense of realism into this story which I think has been somewhat lost._

_I hope you like my introduction to Princess Aleena and her friend Lara-Le, the next chapter picks up exactly where this one left off so don't worry, you won't miss a second from this little cliff-hanger! I will be highlighting more differences between Mobian high-society and the lower-class as this story continues and will become something of a feature as Jules and Princess Aleena's relationship develops. Also, you will notice may social differences as the story goes on from what we're used to and to how Mobians live there lives. For example, though Macey's is a free entry club, eliminating the need for a receptionist and since they're generally quite peaceful and honourable beings bouncers aren't really necessary either. I wanted to show them as similar yet completely different from humans/Overlanders… so they're whole society with have similarities but also key differences that separate how they live._

_Stay tuned for more soon!_

_~Ditzy x_


	4. A Meeting Of Two Worlds

**A Tale of Two Brothers**

_Hey Peeps, I don't own anything related to Sonic or his universe, that's SEGA and all other companies relevant to the creation of his various back-stories, and even though most of them have tanked it now that is besides the point… Honestly, I actually own very little in this fic (next to nothing to be exact) but this is __my__ story and even though I am using characters from Archie, DiC and SEGA I will be fleshing many of them out because they were only 2-dimensional so in some ways they will appear very OC… hopefully you'll bear with me! Anyway, I've bored you to tears with this disclaimer so enjoy… and let me know what you think! X_

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**Review Replies:**

**NyxSeth27: Ok, definitely not your favourite chap then Lol. And thanks, I want to try and keep this fic as real as I can and unfortunately it's probably not the only time he'll get injured in this fic. X**

**Slayer 666: I guess it's a little awkward to some but the way I see it is it just shows that father and son have similar tastes. And there's a note at the foot of this chapter as to why Aleena's quill colour has been changed. But remember, this doesn't follow any set Sonic-canon so these characters are slightly OC. As for some of your ideas, I already had some similar to a few of them. And although I have plans for Antoine's father I had forgotten about Bunnie. I will try to fit her side in somehow, though they might not appear until later. Although I will say that in this fic Sally will not a be princess.. X **

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**Chapter Four:****A Meeting Of Two Different Worlds**

As the two high-society Mobian-girls moved cautiously across the floor of the underground club they observed the others around them. So far all they had done was look as neither Princess Aleena nor Lara-Le were very sure how to go about engaging any of them in conversation, not that they were ready for that. This whole place was so different from the balls and galas they were used to attending, where everybody knew everybody else and all they did was laugh snootily, act nice then talk smack about each other behind their backs. Here, nobody seemed to care how others perceived them. Many were acting boisterously with their friends: laughing freely, dancing stupidly without following set steps and drinking to excess. Princess Aleena could see why the majority of her blue-blooded associates thought that they were 'ruffians' or 'uncivilized' but the lilac hedgehog didn't agree. To her it looked like they were completely free and a small part of her envied them for it. Lara-Le looked slightly more nervous than the royal hedgehog next to her. This was mostly due to the fact that she knew she was going to stick out more than her best friend. After all she was an echidna and everybody knew that her kind did not usually associate with city dwellers, they receded in the mountains keeping a shrewd guard over the mystical secrets of the Chaos Emeralds. It was only a few upper-class ambassadors, like her parents, that kept the lines of communication open between the King of Mobius and their hermit Guardians. Even now as the red-furred echidna walked beside Princess Aleena she could feel the others staring at her, probably whispering their curiosity to her presence in each other's ears. Lara-Le felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment as she caught a few Mobians pause to gaze at her when the two girls walked by.. Did they really have to stare?

Though the two friends did not spot a single waiter carrying refreshments they did find a bar which had many Mobians crowded around it, jostling each other for space at the front.

'Do we really have to go to get drinks this way?' Lara-Le asked, her minty green eyes widening at the amount of Mobians crowded along the long worktop in front of them. The red-furred echidna was unsure she was comfortable with the idea of being squeezed between other Mobians just to get a drink.

'I guess we do.' Princess Aleena replied but for the first time she looked as unsure about this way of getting a drink as her friend. Her small fingers clutched her white designer bag, which was hiding her crown, a little tighter to her. She couldn't risk it being knocked and her true identity being revelled to the inhabitants of the club. Her father King Olgilvie the Third would hit the roof if he ever found out his daughter had snuck out of the palace on a whim. Lara-Le could see her own worries about getting a drink reflected in the princess' striking emerald eyes.

'What do we do now?' The red-furred echidna asked gently, one of her hands raising to brush one of her braided quills back into place.

'I don't know..' Princess Aleena replied unsurely, she had been hoping to get a drink but now that seemed unlikely. The two of them stood uncertainly together, feeling awkward and slightly out of place just stood there. Unbeknown to the two friends another Mobian was approaching them from behind. The slightly inebriated lynx had spotted the two girls but naturally, it was the pretty little echidna that had caught his interest.

'Hey, you're an echidna, right?' The tan-furred lynx slurred in a loud voice which startled both higher-class Mobians, making them jump and squeal out in fright. Immediately both of them swivelled around with eyes wide like terrified rabbits.. Not that the inebriated lynx noticed as his bleary eyes settled on the red-furred echidna, her long red quills braided with pretty white ribbons and wearing a soft yellow dress in a modest cut.

'_Uhh_.. Y-yes..' Lara-Le stuttered nervously, edging slightly closer to the lilac and blonde-quilled hedgehog in the light turquoise dress. The echidna's arm looped into Princess Aleena's as she shied away from the lynx before her. The lilac-furred royal hedgehog was merely staring at the lynx with wide eyes of shock, having never met a Mobian this drunk before she was unsure of how to deal with him.

'You are..' The lynx confirmed drunkenly to himself. 'I've never seen an echidna before..'

'Yes, well my friend and I would love to discuss this further but we really must be moving on.' Princess Aleena found her voice and tried to get rid of this inebriated lynx in thee politest way possible. The lynx however scowled at the lilac hedgehog, clearly not liking the fact that she had interrupted.

'Uh, not so fast.' The lynx sounded firmly causing the royal hedgehog to blink in surprise as he placed a hand on her shoulder and pried her away from Lara-Le. 'Your friend and I were having a nice conversation.' Immediately he let go of the princess and swung an arm around a now-petrified Lara-Le, holding her close to him. As his attention turned back to her scared friend Princess Aleena glared haughtily at the lynx, furious by his dismissal of her. Being a princess meant that she was not used to being ignored…

* * *

Jules Hedgehog wandered away from his booth of friends, barely paying attention to where he was going as he mused over what he'd just learnt. His break up with Alicia Chipmunk had been a complete surprise to him at the time. He didn't think he'd been that bad of a boyfriend to her. Ok, he'd been a little neglectful at times but they'd never had any fall outs over it, she seemed to have just accepted it as part of his nature. But when she'd broken up with him Alicia, or Alice as he'd always called her, had told the cobalt hedgehog that he was just not mature or stable enough for her to see a real future with. This had come as a blow to him and his ego and for a little while after the initial break up Jules secretly nursed a broken heart before deciding he wasn't going to let Alicia dominate his thoughts. Now, almost eight months after they'd split she'd moved onto someone else. The sixteen year old hedgehog supposed he should be happy for his ex-girlfriend, this new guy was clearly mature enough being eight years older than her…but now his curiosity was peaked by who the lucky Mobian could be. He suspected Cocoa had not been one-hundred percent truthful when she said she didn't know who it was but perhaps she'd merely been trying to spare his feelings..

'I say..' A polite but haughty female voice brought the sixteen year old cobalt hedgehog out of his thoughts and drew his attention across to the bar where a lilac-furred hedgehog with blonde quills was stood with her dainty hands squarely on her hips. '-unhand her this instant!'

'What the Chaos-?' Jules uttered in confusion before seeing the problem. His hazel eyes narrowed as he spotted a tan-furred Mobian lynx who'd clearly drunk a bit too much clinging to a scared-looking echidna-girl. Instantly the hedgehog made a bee-line for the three Mobians, keen to defuse the situation before they all got turfed out for causing a scene.

'Whoa, what's your problem?' The drunken lynx sounded in surprise to the glaring female hedgehog in front of him.

'My '_problem__'_ is that your holding onto my friend when she clearly doesn't want you to!' The lilac-furred hedgehog continued to scowl.

'I'm just trying to find out why an echidna like her is in a place like this.' The lynx responded, still not understanding why this hedgehog was annoyed with him.

'Yeh, well it's not really our business bud, so why don't you just let her go.' Jules sounded in a stern voice, announcing his presence to the three Mobians causing them to turn to him in amazement. The second the lilac-furred hedgehog swivelled her head to look at her defender the only thing Jules noticed was how strikingly lovely her eyes were. They were like two shiny emeralds embedded in a lilac-furred vision. Not wanting to be distracted from the situation at hand Jules then turned his eyes back to the lynx in front of him.

'Wh-what?' The drunk Mobian sounded in confusion, his arm still holding onto the echidna-girl who was now throwing the cobalt hedgehog a look which clearly screamed 'save me'. 'Hey, do you hear her complaining?' The lynx spoke as he gestured to the red-furred echidna still in his grip.

'No, but your clearly scaring both girls.' Jules replied calmly before stepping forward and gently prying the echidna out of the drunken lynx' grip. The moment she was free Lara-Le scooted over to Princess Aleena and the two girls embraced, clutching each other closely as their eyes turned as one to watch their yet-to-be-identified saviour as he dealt with their drunken accoster.

'I was scaring them?' The lynx sounded dimly before his eyes turned to see the two girls eyeing him warily with their different shades of green eyes. 'Oh. _Oh_.. I'm so sorry. I didn't men to scare you, I've just never seen an echidna before..' The lynx sounded in an inebriated apologetically, moving towards the girls who took a step back, still clutching each other fearfully. Immediately Jules stepped between them and pushed a gloved hand to the lynx' chest to stop him from getting any closer.

'Ok bud, that's far enough, let's try not to spook 'em anymore than you have already.' The cobalt teen sounded gently as he slipped an arm around the lynx who was only an inch or two taller than himself.

'Aw, I didn't mean to scare them, honest I didn't..' The lynx sounded as Jules helped steady his feet before leading him away.

'I know, I know but maybe you came on a bit too strong for them, huh?' The cobalt hedgehog replied sympathetically before adding, 'Your lookin' a bit wasted, why don't you just head on home, whatta you say?'

'Urh, maybe your right..' The lynx replied, nodding vaguely in agreement. 'You'll tell them I'm sorry won'tcha?'

'Sure thing buddy!' Jules responded brightly before adding, 'Have you got someone to help you home?'

'Yeh, yeh, my friends are right over there..' The lynx pointed vaguely to two other Mobians not too far away. The two of his friends immediately spotted Jules with the lynx and came straight over.

'Luke's not been causing trouble has he?' One of them, a Mobian-wolf, sounded concerned.

'He just spooked a couple of girls, that's all.' Jules replied in a light voice so they could tell there was no real harm done.

'Ah for Mobius' sake..' The wolf cursed as his other friend, a light-green feathered duck, took Luke the Lynx off of Jules' hands.

'Hey, there was no harm done, just make sure he gets home safe, ok?' The cobalt teenage hedgehog replied.

'We will, thanks for saving him. He's a good guy, he just doesn't know his limits when it comes to drink.' The light-green feathered duck said before shaking Jules' hand as his wolf-friend took Luke the Lynx' other harm over his shoulders. They then bid the cobalt teen a good night before taking their friend out of the club. The sixteen year old hedgehog smiled as they left before suddenly remembering the two girls he had momentarily left on their own and immediately he headed back in their direction..

* * *

'Are you alright?' Princess Aleena asked her best friend, the two high-society friends were no longer clinging to each other but were still holding hands for support.

'Yes, yes. I'm fine..' Lara-Le replied, looking a little shaken up by her experience but otherwise she seemed to be okay.

'Do you want to leave?' The royal hedgehog asked her friend concerned, not wanting to make her stay if she didn't want to. The red-furred echidna gazed at her friend in surprise, if she left now she'd never see what lower-class Mobians were really like. She would forever associate them with that one mindless lynx. 'Tell you what, we'll wait to thank the hedgehog who saved us then leave, how's that sound?' The princess added, mistaking her friend's silence as an answer to her question.

'No!' Lara-Le cried out stunning the lilac hedgehog with blonde quills and causing her to blink. 'It's alright, I'd actually like to stay now..' The red-furred echidna tittered lightly. She may have been reluctant to come along at the start of this night but now she was here and had been accosted by a drunken Mobian the echidna seemed more determined to find out more.

'Really?' Princess Aleena sounded in amazement but before she could ask why Lara-Le had changed her mind the cobalt blue hedgehog returned with a smile.

'Hi girls, you'll be pleased to know that the drunk has been escorted home by his friends so he won't be bothering you again.' The male hedgehog grinned at the two high-society girls and both the princess and the echidna smiled back with relief.

'Thank you for coming to my rescue.' Lara-Le said politely, her minty green eyes flashing gratefully towards the blue hedgehog.

'Eh, it was nothing. Anyone could've done it.' The cobalt-blue hedgehog responded, his grin widened to reveal a chip on the upper right-hand side of his teeth. His warm hazel eyes widened slightly as if he'd just remembered something. 'By the way, he apologised profusely again for scaring both of you.'

'Well, I guess since no real harm was done I can forgive him.' Lara-Le replied honestly with a smile, despite her race being infamous for holding grudges it was not a characteristic she shared.

'Is there anything we can do to thank you properly for your heroic deed?' Princess Aleena asked politely gazing at the hedgehog before her with interest. She had never met another hedgehog close to her own age before but she supposed it had been naive of her to think she and her father were the only ones of their species in Mobotroplis. The first thing that drew her attention was the warmth behind his rich hazel-coloured eyes. There was just something about them that made the princess feel secure in his presence, like she could trust him implicitly with anything. The cobalt hedgehog had a quiff of loose blue quills that hung with unkempt grace just above his eyes giving him a laid-back look. His mouth and long black nose were framed by a slightly tanned muzzle which suited his brilliant blue fur colour and matched his slightly muscular bare arms. The rest of his body was toned, wrapped in an armless red vest with white zipper and judging by his well-worn brown combat boots this was a guy who liked to be outdoors. He was incredibly handsome, there was no denying that but whereas other males had to work hard to be this handsome his good looks seemed to be effortless, like he wasn't even trying. As Princess Aleena gazed at their 'rescuer' she felt her tummy flutter, like there was a swarm of butterflies filling it up..

'Heh, I wouldn't call it 'heroic'..' The cobalt hedgehog drawled uneasily, rubbing the quills on the back of his head as a slight flush of embarrassment momentarily covered his cheeks. 'But I wouldn't mind knowing the names of the two lovely ladies I just rescued.' He added cheerfully to the two Mobian-girls before him. Both the red-furred echidna and the lilac hedgehog exchanged a glance before smiling back at him.

'My name is Lara-Le..' The echidna with braided quills said good-naturedly before gesturing towards the princess beside her. '-and this is my friend-'

'-Bernadette.' Princess Aleena added keenly, deciding to use her middle name instead of her first so he would not make the link to her royal heritage. 'And you are..?' She tailed off with a friendly smile towards the handsome hedgehog.

'Jules Hedgehog..' The cobalt teen sounded politely. 'Can I get you girls a drink?' He offered kindly to the two of them and immediately the two of them smiled.

'Ooh, that would be just lovely..' Princess Aleena trilled before looking slightly unsure once more. 'But I'm afraid I don't know what sort of drinks they provide here..' She suddenly added causing Jules to blink at this statement before smiling once more.

'Heh, heh..' The cobalt hedgehog chuckled good-naturedly. 'How about I just pick you out something nice and fruity?' Jules added with a wink to the lilac hedgehog with the blonde quills.

'Sounds delightful..' Princess Aleena responded eagerly, clasping her fingers together as her emerald eyes widened adorably at his drink suggestion.

'What about you Lara-Le, you in?' His hazel eyes immediately swivelled around to the echidna who had been silent this whole time.

'Yes, I'd love to try it, thank you..' She smiled agreeably towards the handsome hedgehog making his eyes narrow slightly.

'Great. Now don't move, I'll be right back..' Immediately the cobalt hedgehog in the red vest turned sharply on his brown-booted heels and headed towards the crowded bar. Once he was completely out of earshot but not out of sight the red echidna turned to her best friend, a deliberate little smile forming on her lips.

'He seems nice, doesn't he?' Lara-Le kept her voice light and friendly, watching as Princess Aleena had her emerald eyes fixed solely on the blue hedgehog.

'He does..' The lilac hedgehog with blonde quills sighed gently.

* * *

'Juice! Hey Juice, over here!' A familiar voice called out making Jules swivel his cobalt head and quills in the direction of the voice calling him only to find Lionel making a bee-line towards him. 'Where you been?' The blonde lion asked curiously as he pushed his way beside his best friend.

'Nowhere. Just saving these two high-maintenance girls from some drunken lynx who was bothering them.' The cobalt hedgehog smirked back.

'Really?' Lionel blinked before pushing his spectacles further up the bridge of his nose. 'So where are they now?'

'Over there waiting for me..' Jules jerked his thumb over his shoulder back in the direction of Lara-Le and 'Bernadette'. Immediately the blonde lion's blue eyes turned in the direction his cobalt friend was pointing in. His eyes momentarily widened at the sight of the nicely dressed lilac hedgehog with blonde quills and her equally well-presented echidna friend.

'Whoa, when you said 'high-maintenance' you weren't kidding..' Lionel uttered, turning his eyes back to Jules.

'Hey, think you can rustle up a few more seats? I'm thinking of bringing them back to our booth.' The cobalt hedgehog asked lightly and the blonde lion smiled.

'Sure, why not? Just let me get our drinks first then I'll get the guys right on it..' Lionel sounded brightly.

'In that case you better take my spot..' Jules replied amiably stepping out of the way to let his best friend in front of him.

'Thanks man!' Lionel then proceeded to order the round of drinks for the rest of the table before handing over his mobiums. It took a little while for all the drinks to come then the lion thanked the barmobian before carefully picking up his tray. 'Catch you in a bit.' He added to Jules before heading off in the direction of their table.

'See ya..' The cobalt hedgehog waved him off with a smile then turned to the barmobian in front of him. 'Yeh, I'll have a root beer and two Fruity Kisses.' Jules placed his order deciding to get the girls the most effeminate fruit cocktail on offer and as the barmobian turned away he shook his head lightly at it's name. It didn't take Jules' order nearly as long to prepare as Lionel's and soon there was a brown bottle nestled neatly between two glasses of pale pink sparkling liquid. The glasses were decorated with a kiwi slice, a cherry skewered to the cocktail stick of a small umbrella. Finally, there were two straws sticking out of the glasses and ice floating near the surface. All this made the drinks look really appealing and they stood out next to the plain bottle of root beer.

'Thanks pal..' Jules said lightly as he handed over his mobiums. 'Keep the change.' He added not bothering to collect his two mobiums. The cobalt hedgehog merely picked up his tray of drinks and manoeuvred his way carefully over to where 'Bernadette' and Lara-Le were waiting for him. Both girls' smiles widened at the cobalt teen as the blue hedgehog returned to them with their drinks balancing in front of him.

'So what do we do now?' The lilac hedgehog with blonde quills and bright shiny emerald eyes asked Jules in a slightly unsure tone. It was becoming clear to the cobalt teen-hedgehog that these girls had never been inside a club like Macey's before and perhaps introducing them to his friends was the best idea. At least this way there were more eyes to watch over them and keep them safe.

'Well, I did come here with a group of friends who we could join, that is if you girls are up for it?.' Jules replied lightly making sure his tone said that this was entirely up to them.

'What do you think Lara-Le?' 'Bernadette' asked her red-furred friend who instantly smiled back at the lilac hedgehog.

'Yes. Why not?' The female echidna sounded with a slight hint of excitement in her voice. She then turned to the cobalt hedgehog and added lightly. 'I am, as you said, 'up for it'.'

'Then I guess we are going to meet your friends..' The lilac hedgehog laughed at her friend quoting Jules' words. Instantly her slim upper arm linked around the arm nearest her and 'Bernadette' held onto the cobalt hedgehog, mindful of the tray he was still carrying. On his other side Lara-Le copied her though she did not hold him as close to her as her best friend, her grip was more lax.

'In that case, right this way..' Jules smiled good-naturedly before guiding the two of them around the crowds on the dance floor towards the booth where his friends were sitting.

* * *

By the time Jules had returned to the booth where he'd left his friends the dynamics of the table had changed slightly. Cocoa had now switched seats with Tiger meaning that he was now nestled in nicely next to her fellow feline friend. The cobalt hedgehog wasn't immediately noticed upon arrival as Cocoa and Gus were deep in conversation and Tiger was staring at the orange female tiger with black-stripes beside him, though it was hard to tell if he was hanging onto her words or merely gazing at her beauty. Both Lionel and Sherman were missing from the group and the teenage hedgehog could only assume that they had gone off to retrieve some extra seats.

'Hey guys, I'm back and I brought company.' Jules sounded brightly, announcing his presence to the group sitting around the table. Immediately the four of them broke off from their conversations and their eyes rolled around to the hedgehog.

'Oh good.' Cocoa exclaimed as her eyes fell on the two newcomers. 'More girls to balance us out.' The female black and white cat smiled widely, clearly showing how pleased she was to see that they were female.

'Girls, I'd like you to meet my friend-' The cobalt hedgehog sounded as he set down their tray of drinks. '-Tiger, or Tig as he prefers to be called-' At the sound of his name the white tiger with silver-stripes nodded in acknowledgement.

'Hi there..' Tig sounded with a polite smirk to the lilac hedgehog and her red-furred echidna friend. Lara-Le and 'Bernadette' smiled back politely.

'-My other friend Augustus or 'Gus', this is his last night here in Mobotroplis before he heads back to the Artic Regions.' At the mention of his name the large white polar-bear gave a slight wave.

'We wanted to see him off in style.' Tig interjected at this point, his smile widening crookedly.

'Hello.' Gus' low voice said as his navy eyes flashed kindly.

'And this is-' Jules began to introduce both 'Bernadette' and Lara-Le to the black and white female cat but she cut him off.

'Cocoa..' The female cat beat him to the punch with a friendly smile. '-and this is my friend Ginger.' She gestured to the orange and black-striped female tiger who smiled widely at them.

'Hey, nice to meet you..' She drawled sweetly, holding out her paw-like hand and shaking hands with Lara-Le. At this point the groups attention was caught by a blonde lion with blue eyes and a navy walrus with violet eyes returning with chairs and setting them down.

'Ah and here are my other friends Lionel..' Jules introduced the girls to the lion who beamed widely. '-and Sherman.' The walrus swept off his cap momentarily with a smile.

'Hiya girls, can I offer you a seat?' Lionel sounded perkily before politely gesturing to the booth seat, allowing Lara-Le to take his usual seat beside Cocoa and Gus.

'Oh. Why thank you.' The female echidna responded happily, accepting the seat and sitting down as Lionel slipped in beside her. Meanwhile Sherman set the three chairs down in front of the booth and took the one beside Lionel. This left only 'Bernadette' and Jules standing.

'Everyone.' The cobalt hedgehog rounded up his introductions. 'This is Lara-Le-' He gestured to the red-furred echidna in the soft yellow dress and she smiled as Lionel passed her drink to her. Jules immediately turned to the lilac hedgehog with blonde quills who was still stood beside him. 'And this is Bernadette..' He finished with a smile and Princess Aleena flushed a little, feeling a small amount of guilt about lying about her name to such a large group. The cobalt-blue hedgehog immediately turned to the female hedgehog beside him, not understanding why she was still standing before he suddenly realised that she must have been waiting for him to show her to her seat. She had obviously been brought up with strict etiquette and impeccable manners. This realisation made Jules flush with slight embarrassment as he realised it was in poor manners to keep a lady waiting.

'Heh… here, allow me.' The cobalt teen still looked slightly abashed as he pulled the seat nearest to 'Bernadette' out and straightened it slightly.

'Thank you Jules.' The royal hedgehog sounded sweetly, finding his sudden bashfulness adorable and flashing him a girly smile. The cobalt hedgehog then took the seat next to her and picked up their drinks from the tray. Jules passed the princess her drink before taking a swig of his root beer, hoping to cool his hot face. His hazel eyes did a quick sweep of the table, checking to see if any of his friends had witnessed his momentary embarrassment.. Fortunately nobody seemed to notice it apart from 'Bernadette'..

* * *

If the two high-society Mobian-girls had been worried about fitting in with the group of lower-class Mobians they're fears were proven wrong instantly. Jules couldn't have introduced them to a nicer group of Mobians and it proved to be the right move to sit the high-society girls next to Cocoa and Ginger. The two lower-class girls instantly took Lara-Le and Princess Aleena under their wings. While Cocoa was curious to find out from Lara-Le how different life was for an echidna in comparison to hers, Princess Aleena was fascinated to hear about Ginger's studies.

'Oh, it all sounds so exciting! I'm starting to wish I'd gone to school..' The petit lilac hedgehog with blonde quills said wistfully but her statement made Ginger blink in shock.

'_You never went to school?-!_' Tig Stripes' grey eyes widened in surprise as the male tiger nearly choked on his own root beer. Immediately Princess Aleena flushed slightly pink under the gaze of the cobalt hedgehog and the two Mobian-tigers beside her.

'_Um_… no. I-I was home-schooled..' She stammered slightly abashed taking a sip of her Fruity Kiss and making a surprised noise of satisfaction.

'You like it?' The pleased tone of Jules washed over her and the royal hedgehog's bright emerald eyes turned towards him and instantly they locked with his warm hazel eyes. For a split moment she seemed to find herself awestruck before her mind slowly reminded her he'd asked her a question.

'I do..' Princess Aleena sounded in a slightly more breathy voice than she had meant to. The lilac hedgehog then blinked and added in a more careless tone. 'It's wonderful.' Her words made the cobalt hedgehog grin.

'So, you were home-schooled, huh?' Jules immediately prompted the blonde-quilled hedgehog back to the subject of education.

'Oh. Yes.' Princess Aleena smiled back before her eyes turned back to Tiger and Ginger who had been sipping their drinks and smiling at each other. 'Well, father wasn't comfortable with the idea of me leaving home for education, so he hired a private tutor to come in and teach me in the safety of our home.' The princess had only embellished this with a slight white lie. It had not been one tutor, it had been a whole staff of them. An etiquette and elocution tutor, an academic and political studies tutor, a music and arts tutor and a personal trainer. They're time was all slotted into a strict schedule which the princess was expected to keep, and her grades were to stay within a certain margin to keep her father satisfied with her progress.

'Why wasn't he comfortable with you leaving home?' Ginger asked gently and for a moment the lilac hedgehog beside her seemed to shift unsurely in her seat. For a moment the light orange tigress thought she had asked too personal a question for 'Bernadette'.

'My mother died giving birth to me..' Princess Aleena finally answered sadly. 'Father's heart was never the same after that. He's always kept me close to him. I guess sending me away to be schooled was too much for him to bear..' The blonde-quilled hedgehog tailed of as she thought about her father King Olgilvie the Third. After only a few moments a soft paw-like hand gripped her fingers comfortingly and the princess turned to see Ginger holding her dainty hand supportively in hers.

'I'm sorry.' The Mobian-tigress spoke softly, now understanding why 'Bernadette's' father would not like her to leave but it did bring up one curious thought. 'So, how did you meet Lara-Le?'

'Oh. Her parents are friends of my father's, we always run into each other at social functions or get together while our parents are discussing important issues.'

…At the opposite side of the table the others were listening to Lara-Le as she and Cocoa had somehow got onto the subject of echidna-courting.

'Well, traditional echidnae don't really date, their marriages are arranged through breeding and social standing.' The red-furred echidna was saying to the group of teens around her who were gazing fascinated. 'When I turn of age I will be betrothed to a 'provider' selected by my father. Then only once a suitable dowry is agreed upon by both echidna-houses the wedding will take place.' The red-furred echidna looked around at the group who were gazing at her in surprise.

'A provider?' Cocoa sounded in slight disgust, shouldn't the correct term be 'husband'? This was all sounding too cold and business-like for her liking..

'I guess the significance of marriage is less about romance and more about creating strong within the echidnae-community. Is that right?' Lionel asked the braided-quilled echidna and Lara-Le nodded solemnly.

'Yes, sadly that is true. I will only see my future 'provider' once before the wedding, when he and his father come to inspect me to see if I meet with their approval.' The female echidna answered in a soft tone while her face, though sad, seemed accepting of her fate.

'You'll only see your husband once before you marry him?' Cocoa was still staring gob-smacked by this echidna way of life.

'Whoa, that's harsh..' Sherman sounded softly. He couldn't imagine marrying someone after only meeting them once.

'You seem so calm with this..' Gus' deep voice washed over them and Lara-Le's minty green eyes turned to him.

'I've had my whole life to prepare for this.' The red-furred echidna sounded lightly. She reached forward and picked up her fruity cocktail and taking a sip of the sweet liquid. 'I may not turn of age until next year but my father has already begun to consider potential 'providers'.'

'Well in that case, you should enjoy your freedom while you have it.' The large polar bear said with a smile towards the little echidna. This made Lara-Le smile back towards him.

'Yes. I believe your right..' She sounded brightly..

* * *

As the night drifted on Princess Aleena found herself watching the Mobians dancing on the floor in front of the raised stage where a band was playing. She wasn't sure what to think of the music they were playing as she was used to the classical style of music her and her high-society peers listened to. This music was faster, more energetic and it was a mystery to her how the Mobians could dance to it. There seemed to be no set dance steps to it, as a result all the teenage Mobians dancing were all over the place. Dancing different moves and smiling while laughing and enjoying themselves… it was a strange thing for the princess to see.

'You wanna dance Bernie?' The sound of the cobalt hedgehog's voice made Princess Aleena stop focussing on the jumble of dancing in front of her and back to the table. Tiger and Ginger seemed to be in a little bubble of their own while the rest of the table was chatting and laughing freely.

'Did you just call me 'Bernie'?' The lilac hedgehog sounded a little firmer than she'd meant to as her emerald eyes widened in surprise. Instantly Jules raised his hands in defence as he laughed guiltily.

'Heh, yeh..' He drawled as his white-gloved hand rose to his head and his fingers ran through his quiff of blue quills. 'I did. Sorry, Bernadette is sucha mouthful but if it bothers you I won't call you it again..' He smiled widely, flashing the chip in his tooth.

'No, no. It's ok..' Princess Aleena sounded gently, she'd never had a nickname before. Such things in her society were considered incredibly bad form. And even though she was not using her real first name it touched the lilac hedgehog to know he thought of her in this affectionate manner.

'So, do you wanna dance then?' Jules repeated his question, his hazel eyes flashing a curious look to her.

'I'm afraid I wouldn't know how..' Princess Aleena replied, throwing him a coy look. She knew it was rude not to accept a dance invitation but she truly had no clue what to do.

'What's to know?' The cobalt hedgehog suddenly laughed in amusement. 'You just go with the music..' Instantly he grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of her seat. 'Come on, I'll show you..' He added keenly as he led her to the dancefloor at a light jogging speed. With her white high-heels Princess Aleena struggled to keep up with him but thankfully the cobalt hedgehog did not take her too far into the crowd. Once they'd arrived at a decent clearing of space Jules immediately let go of 'Bernadette' and immediately began to sway and bop in time with the song the band were playing. The lilac hedgehog could only stare in amazement at him. The cobalt-blue hedgehog was surprisingly graceful though his movements were entirely masculine. When he spun around to face her he stopped, noticing she still wasn't moving but merely stood there while their peers danced around them.

'What's the matter Bernie?' Jules had to raise his voice to be heard over the volume of music which was much louder out on the floor.

'I've never danced without set steps before.' Princess Aleena replied just loud enough for the male hedgehog to make out. Her lilac pointed ears seemed to dip slightly as she looked awkward. She was completely out of her comfort zone now. Jules closed the slight gap that had appeared during his dancing so he was stood directly in front of her now. His hazel eyes gazed down into her timid emerald ones, noticing that they paused only to dart around the room.

'But what if I can't do it right?' Her voice sounded terrified and suddenly he understood the reason behind her shyness. She must be worried about what the others would think if she tried to dance without being shown how first.

'Hey, dancing isn't about doing it 'right'. It's about self-expression through the body, there's no wrong way to being yourself, right?' The cobalt-blue hedgehog asked her and the lilac hedgehog smiled slightly, though nervous butterflies tingled her insides.

'I guess not..' Princess Aleena replied with a timid stammer.

'And don't worry, you can't be any worse than that guy.' Jules sounded as his smile widened, pointing to a monkey-Mobian on the other side of the dancefloor who was flailing his arms ridiculously in the air and bouncing around. The royal hedgehog blinked in shock at his bizarre dancing before noticing that although a few Mobians were laughing at him the monkey-Mobian didn't seem to care.

'Why does he still dance if he knows he's being laughed at?' The blonde-quilled hedgehog asked, not understanding why this Mobian wasn't bothered by others laughing at him.

'Because Bananas likes to entertain.' Jules sounded, snickering slightly at the ridiculous dance moves the monkey called Bananas was pulling.

'You _know_ him?' Princess Aleena blinked stunned as her cobalt dance partner continued to snigger.

'Only by name.' Jules replied. 'He's a regular here so we sometimes run into each other.' He then took one of her dainty hands in his larger white-gloved one and pulling her away from the monkey-Mobian and his weird dancing. 'You wanna try dancing with me?' He suddenly asked her boldly and if Princess Aleena had been self-conscious before she was incredibly nervous now. Her cheeks flushed a shade of pink as his other hand sat on the blonde quills covering the small of her back.

'Um, sure.' She tried to swallow her nerves but they remained lumped in her throat. He was closer to her now than he'd been all night. This lack of distance didn't bother Jules but Princess Aleena was fighting to control her blushes. She just wasn't used to this level of forwardness from male-Mobians, especially not ones as handsome and kind as the one she was with now. They began to sway and turn on the spot, the princess' heart fluttered rapidly as they moved together, it was as if her heart wanted to break out of her ribcage. They picked up pace and immediately Jules pulled away from her, still connected by one hand letting her go into a spin. The lilac hedgehog glanced around the floor to see none of the others were paying them the slightest bit of attention and her initial nerves were soothed. Nobody cared about her dancing. She was just dancing, having a good time without others judging her… A smile curved her lips at this new sense of freedom and immediately she swung back into her cobalt partner, more relaxed as they continued to dance. Their hands were no longer connected but they remained within a close proximity of each other.

Jules couldn't help but smile as 'Bernadette's' nerves melted away. He had no idea why she'd been so self-conscious in the first place. As far as the male hedgehog was concerned she was an incredible dancer, her movements were so fluid and sensual as she seemed to glide effortlessly across the floor. Just when it seemed that she'd forgotten he was even there her bright emerald eyes would open and she'd smile at him, as if checking he was still with her. As they continued to move they became only aware of themselves and the music around them. Their hands linked again as they resumed dancing together and then suddenly 'Bernadette' leaned into the cobalt-teen hedgehog.

'Want me to show you something?' Princess Aleena sounded with a slight hint of mischief lacing her well-spoken voice. Jules blinked his hazel eyes in surprise before they narrowed in a mixture of curiosity and delight. He'd been wondering if there was more to 'Bernadette' than this polite high-class girl front she'd been displaying so far and he was pleased to see there was something more underneath it. Intrigued to know what lay under the surface of this refined Mobian-girl the cobalt hedgehog grinned wickedly at her.

'Go ahead Bernie.' He replied with a good-natured laugh and immediately the blonde-quilled hedgehog's grip intensified around his wrists. This caused Jules to let out a noise of surprise.

'Well, if you insist.' Princess Aleena sounded as the two of them began to spin very fast on the spot. 'Just don't let go.' She added and immediately his fingers curled around her wrists, locking him into place. Their spinning speed intensified by tenfold so they were nothing more than a blue and lilac tornado spinning in perfect balance on the dancefloor. There was gasps of surprise and amazement as other Mobians turned towards the two spinning hedgehogs.

After a few more moments of this high-velocity spinning the lilac and blue tornado vanished as Princess Aleena came to a stop, releasing her cobalt-blue partner from her tight grip. As Jules swayed uneasily trying to steady his balance a slightly lop-sided smile slowly curved his punch-drunk face. The lilac hedgehog with blonde quills only tittered lightly at his blown away expression.

'_Whoa_…' The sixteen year old male hedgehog said in a soft stupefied voice. 'That.. was.. _awesome!_' Jules shook his head to rid himself of his slightly dizzy spell before turning his hazel eyes turned to the female hedgehog standing next to him. 'Where did you learn to do that?'

'I used to do ballet as a little hedgehoglet and one day I was practising my arabesque and I discovered it by mistake.' Princess Aleena replied matter-of-factly, her smile then widened slightly towards him. Nobody else had called her super fast spinning 'awesome' before. Usually they just told her to stop as it was not ladylike to be spinning around at such dangerous speeds.

'You wanna show me again?' Jules' eyes narrowed once more to her and the royal hedgehog giggled.

'I'd love to.' She replied before sweeping him up into another high-velocity spin across the floor, completely ignoring the staring Mobians around them..

* * *

It was incredibly late when the group of Mobian-teens all exited Macey's and grouped together to say their goodbyes. Around them other Mobians whispered enthusiastically then waved to both Jules and Princess Aleena, obviously still remembering their high-spinning hijinx on the dancefloor earlier.

'Take care of yourselves..' Ginger was saying to the two higher-class girls.

'Hopefully we'll run into you again sometime.' Cocoa added keenly, privately hoping this was the case as both she and her friend had enjoyed their company.

'I hope so too. It's been really nice getting to know all of you..' Lara-Le clasped her hands together as her minty green eyes travelled the group of mixed Mobian-species around her. She no longer believed that lower-class Mobians were as rough or uncivilized as her high-society peers made out. They were just misunderstood, like the aloof Guardians of her species.

At this point Tig wrapped an arm around Jules and pulled him away from the group as Lionel, Sherman and Gus moved to say their goodbyes to the two girls, who were getting farewell hugs from Cocoa and Ginger.

'So what's the deal with you and Bernie then?' The white tiger with silver stripes asked conversationally.

'Nothing. Why?' Jules responded as he crossed one leg over the other as his hands rested casually on his hips.

'I dunno, seems like she's really into you, that's all..' Tig added with a crooked smirk twisting his mouth. The cobalt hedgehog turned to glance at 'Bernadette' and as he did her emerald eyes caught him looking. She smiled back before her eyes returned to Sherman who had been saying his own goodbyes.

'Don't be ridiculous Tig..' Jules instantly turned back and his hazel eyes scowled. 'There's no way a high-class honey like her is gonna go for an Average Joe Hedgehog like me..' The then flashed his friend a dismissive smile and added. 'She's just being friendly.'

'If that's what you wanna think Juice.' Tig sounded vaguely with a casual shrug of his shoulders. But before Jules could do anything more than scowl deeper at his best friend the Mobian-tiger spoke again. 'So, your showing her home with Lara-Le, right?' For a moment the cobalt-hedgehog blinked his hazel eyes stunned by the question.

'Err, yeh, I suppose I better, this side of town can get pretty rough at night.' Jules mused which caused Tig to smirk widely. 'Let me guess, your escorting Ginger home, am I right?' The hedgehog suddenly grinned, recognising the look that crossed his best friend's face.

'Yeh, I am..' The white and silver-striped tiger sighed, there was no point in hiding the truth from the one Mobian who could wheedle it out of him better than his own parents. '-but I _really_ like her. Gonna ask for her number when we reach her place.'

'That serious, huh?' Jules kinked his brow impressed. Although Tig often flirted with girls he didn't collect their number unless it was a really special girl who he intended to call, clearly Ginger was that rare kind of girl. The cobalt hedgehog had to admit that Ginger seemed like a nice Mobian-girl and if she was brave enough to take on the unruly Tiger Stripes then good for her.

'Don't laugh Juice, I can have feelings too.' The white and silver-striped tiger sounded seriously.

'Never said you couldn't buddy..' The cobalt hedgehog snickered in amusement before adding. 'Alright, it's getting late. I better get these two home before their daddies call out the Metropolitan Guard..' Jules then made to move towards 'Bernadette' and Lara-Le but Tig forestalled him.

'Think about Bernadette though, she seems nice..' The white and silver-striped tiger said gently as he clapped Jules' shoulder before heading off in the direction of Ginger who was stood with Lionel, Sherman and Cocoa. The cobalt hedgehog sighed heavily, sometimes he could just curse Tiger for knowing him so well. It wasn't that he didn't like 'Bernadette' because he did. With her soft lilac fur, long blonde quills and brilliant emerald eyes what was not to like? His problem was that they clearly came from two completely different worlds. A fancy high-class girl like her couldn't possibly see anything in a standard working-class hedgehog like him..

Shaking off his thoughts and clearing his head of any twittering desire for 'Bernadette' the cobalt hedgehog moved back towards the group, sliding in beside Lara-Le. The echidna smiled at him kindly as her friend was saying her final farewells to Gus.

'Take care of yourself Bernadette. If you ever end up in the Artic Regions for any reason, come look me up.' The Mobian polar bear sounded seriously, not realising that since he was saying goodbye to a princess there was a very good chance she'd hold him to it.

'I might just do that..' The lilac hedgehog giggled lightly, shaking his huge white hand. 'Have a safe trip home Augustus.' She sounded politely, patting the back of his massive hand with her furless pale-skinned hand.

'Thank you, it was nice meeting you.' Gus added lightly.

'You too..' Princess Aleena smiled warmly as he turned away and headed to Sherman, Cocoa and Lionel.

'You girls ready to go home?' Jules sounded turning his blue-quilled head towards both 'Bernadette' and Lara-Le. Both girls blinked at him in surprise.

'Are you planning to escort us back to our homes?' Lara-Le sounded with a slight smile, impressed by his thoughtfulness.

'Yeh, Tiger is taking Ginger home. Lionel and Cocoa live in student halls and are just heading back together and Sherman and Gus live near each other.' The cobalt hedgehog grinned at these words and sure enough the group dispersed as he said they would, waving Jules and the girls goodnight.

* * *

'Well, if you insist on escorting us home, shall we?' Princess Aleena sounded amiably and immediately the cobalt hedgehog extended an arm and looped it around her waist, this made the petit lilac hedgehog make an surprised 'ooh' sound. This was going to be a more intimate journey than she expected. Jules then extended his other arm to Lara-Le who seemed surprised by this move. Both girls couldn't help but notice how tightly he gripped them both now but he spoke before they could ask him about it.

'Alright girls, hold on tight. I'll have you back home in a flash.' He winked as he said this then immediately he shot off in the direction of the upper-class side of Mobotroplis. Both the princess and the red-furred echidna squealed out in shock at the speed that they suddenly lurched forward at. If they'd been wondering how Jules had ended up with the nickname 'Juice' they understood now. The city of Mobotroplis just seemed to blur by and when Princess Aleena's designer handbag slipped down her arm she was glad that it was on the arm she was holding onto Jules' shoulder with. While the princess was happy to watch the buildings and trees fly passed them Lara-Le had her head buried into Jules' bright red vest as she made uncomfortable squealing noises. As the cobalt hedgehog swept around the final corner into the swanky road of Emerald Avenue he was about to ask the female echidna whereabouts to drop her off. But at the sight of her trembling between the collar and breast pocket of his red vest he decided against it and turned to 'Bernadette', who was leaning into his shoulder watching the world fly by.

Jules screeched loudly to a stop, feeling the already worn rubber of his brown combat boots shave away due to the friction against the road. Once the cobalt-blue hedgehog finally skidded to a halt both girls set their expensive heels on solid ground. While the red-furred female echidna looked a little nauseous from the whole experience the lilac hedgehog looked excited. The cobalt sixteen year old hedgehog let out a low impressed whistle as his hazel eyes took in the luxuriously grand street of Emerald Avenue. There was greenery dotted around the wide smooth roads. White mansions lined the block with their imposing iron gates centred around huge sand-stone walls, bursting with moss and other green plant-life on top. The streets where dimly lit by glowing power-stones on top of twisted black metal street-poles and even in the dark this place was unbelievably clean.

'Fancy..' Jules uttered to himself. As a pizza delivery-hog he had rarely been in this section of Mobotroplis, if he had he would have just zipped through it in his haste to get to somewhere else. He certainly had never stopped to take in the homes and judging by the size of the nearest one you could fit the whole hamlet of Knothole into it without even trying.

'Well..' Lara-Le sounded, finally finding that her stomach had finally caught up with the rest of her. '-thank you for such a pleasant evening. I enjoyed meeting your friends.' She added kindly before moving in and giving the cobalt hedgehog a hug. 'And thank you again for saving me.'

'Hey, hey. No problem and like I said before, anyone coulda done it.' He smiled warmly at the echidna.

'Still, I'm glad it was you. Goodnight.' Lara-Le sounded with a smile to both of them. Then the female echidna darted quickly off behind the bushes of her massive front garden. This left the two hedgehogs alone in the dimly lit street.

'Alright Bernie, let's get you home too..' Jules sounded but instead of looping his arm around her waist like last time the cobalt hedgehog swept the princess off her feet and held her in a bridal lift. She gave a slight yelp of shock at this incredibly bold move which only caused the male hedgehog to chuckle low in his throat before taking off down the road again. Before the lilac female could even think they were speeding off once more, the fierce wind whipping up her blonde quills making Princess Aleena glad her crown was safely hidden in her handbag. When they stopped again they were stood outside a tunnel-like passageway in the middle of what seemed to be nowhere. Since 'Bernadette's' father was not to find out that she had snuck out the lilac hedgehog with blonde quills had suggested he take her to one of the escape passageways and she'd re-enter her home that way. Princess Aleena had decided this was the easiest way to sneak back home without having to admit who she really was to the cobalt hedgehog.

It wasn't that she didn't want him to know who she really was, in fact her heart burst with desire to confess it to him. The princess couldn't do it. She lived in a world away from his, when was she ever likely to see him again? If this was the only time she was going to see him then why tarnish this perfect night with her deception.. Now that they were alone with absolutely no interruptions likely to happen an awkward silence fell over the two hedgehogs. Jules rubbed the back of his quills nervously before flashing her a warm smile.

'I uh, hope you don't get caught sneaking back home.' He sounded lightly, nerves still audible in his tone and this caused the lilac hedgehog to smile sweetly.

'I'm sure I'll be fine.' The princess sounded before her smile suddenly dropped slightly and she stepped nearer to Jules, her emerald eyes on his. 'I had a lot of fun tonight.. But I guess there's no chance of us meeting again, is there?' Her brilliant eyes then gazed forlornly at his shoulder for a moment but they rose just in time to see a gentle smile form on the cobalt hedgehog's mouth.

'Never say never..' Jules uttered just loud enough for her to hear, being the incredible optimist he was. This brought the smile back to the royal hedgehog' face.

'But just in case this is the only time we meet..' The cobalt hedgehog reached up to the quill-base of his cranium then winced a little as he yanked out one of his own quills. It was a long cobalt-blue head-quill with a centimetre-thick base that tapered into a needle-sharp point, naturally curving into a slight C-shape. He then held out the quill to 'Bernadette' with a smile, ignoring the slight twinge of discomfort that pulling out a premature quill brought. '-here's something to remember me by.' For a moment the two-foot cobalt-blue quill merely sat in his hand as the princess gazed in wonderment at it. In the olden days male hedgehogs had only given their head-quill to the ones they loved most. Giving such a personal item was a sign of love and adoration for them, that they wanted to be with them always. The blonde-quill hedgehog shook these thoughts from her head. She was putting too much symbolism on this one act of kindness, besides he probably didn't know about what it meant. This was a romantic gesture that had died out years ago..

Eventually Princess Aleena worked up enough courage to take the quill from him and hold it close to her like a valued treasure.

'Thank you..' She smiled sweetly back at him, letting her dainty fingers run over the smooth but very fine cylindrical edge of the quill. Immediately the blonde-quilled hedgehog lent in and kissed Jules' cheek. 'Goodnight.' She uttered before disappearing into the escape tunnel and out of sight.

'Night..' The cobalt-blue hedgehog muttered faintly, looking a little punch-drunk by this innocent peck. Sighing to himself the sixteen year old hedgehog shot off in the direction of home..

* * *

Once Jules was home he slipped noiselessly in the front door and shut it as gently as he could. His older brother would no doubt be asleep by now and the cobalt teen didn't wish to wake him. However when Jules turned around his hazel eyes widened in surprise to see the dining room light on. Was Charles still awake?

'Charlie..?' He called out in bemusement, wondering why his brother would still be up. There was no response to his words so Jules stepped forwards lightly and spoke again. 'Bro, you awake?' Deciding he would poke his nose through the open doorway and see if his brother was ok, the cobalt-blue hedgehog slipped up to the door. When his hazel eyes looked inside the former-dining room he saw his brother slumped over the table with a pile of papers, his ring-restraint gun and a pencil dangling out of one hand. It seemed that Charles had over-exerted himself at his lab-desk once again.

The cobalt hedgehog sighed at his sleeping older brother. Charles' brilliant mind often became so focused on whatever he was working on that it often was unable to distinguish when he was tired. This meant that if he wasn't reminded to sleep he often worked himself until he was so exhausted he just crashed out on his desk. Jules immediately turned to the oak-wood condenser opposite and opened the right-hand cupboard door and pulled out a blanket that he stored in there for this type of situation. As the cobalt hedgehog turned back to his brother holding the blanket in his arms he heard a small clattering noise as the pencil slipped from Charles fingers. The sixteen year old hedgehog just let the pencil roll away as he unfurled the blanket and wrapped the soft fuzzy brown material around his older brother, ensuring that he stayed warm while sleeping. A slight smile tweaked the sleeping face of Charles and Jules immediately pulled a pillow out of the left-side cupboard. Gently he lifted up his brother's head and slid the soft pillow underneath before laying his head back down. As it sunk into the pillow the mild-blue hedgehog gave a slight sigh of satisfaction and nuzzled the pillow before drifting back into his deep sleep. This made Jules smile tenderly at his older brother before turning away from the room and turning out the light, causing the whole house to fall into darkness.

'Goodnight Charlie-Boy..' He uttered presently before heading to bed himself.

* * *

_Little Notes:_

_Hey peeps, super long chapter here! I couldn't help it I didn't want to miss out a single detail of Princess Aleena's and Jules' first meeting. I hope I didn't confuse people when it came to calling the princess 'Bernadette'.. As Sonic fans probably noticed I used the name of the hedgehog's mom from the Archie comics as the alias name for her. I plan to merge these characters into one mother-figure to Sonic as they are both similar to each other, hence why Aleena has blonde head-quills instead of dark-purple ones._

_Ok, there's more here on Lara-Le as I wanted to illustrate differences between echidnae and other Mobians. I want their ways to appear older and more serious, hence the whole arranged marriage thing seemed likely… especially when it came to Knuckles' parents as they were polar opposites that seemed unlikely to come together naturally. But their will be more on that later.. ;)_

_Until next time.._

_~Ditzy x_


	5. High IQ's and Science To-Do's

**A Tale of Two Brothers**

_Hey Peeps, I don't own anything related to Sonic or his universe, that's SEGA and all other companies relevant to the creation of his various back-stories, and even though most of them have tanked it now that is besides the point… Honestly, I actually own very little in this fic (next to nothing to be exact) but this is __my__ story and even though I am using characters from Archie, DiC and SEGA I will be fleshing many of them out because they were only 2-dimensional so in some ways they will appear very OC… hopefully you'll bear with me! Anyway, I've bored you to tears with this disclaimer so enjoy… and let me know what you think! X_

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**Review Replies:**

**NyxSeth27: Hahaha! Sorry hun, strap yourself in, this chap's three pages longer than the last! Glad your liking it, I wanted to write something completely different from before. Its so nice starting afresh X**

**Slayer 666: Thank you hun, I'm flattered and though I'm a big believer in being kind and constructive to others I have read a handful of fics on here and can see where your coming from. It may surprise you to know that I don't have any planned out plot for this. I have a rough idea and a loose set up but otherwise I kind of just let it write itself. I'll be the first to admit my grammar isn't 100% but I prize creative structure over that. If a plot is good that's what keeps the readers.. And I may write one-shots or two-parters down the line while writing this, you never know. Glad your still enjoying it X**

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**Chapter Five:****High IQ's and Science To-Do's**

Sunlight streamed through the thin yellow curtains of the former-dining-room-turned-science-lab of the Hedgehog home. A single streak of bright light crept over the mild-blue-furred eyelids of the nineteen year old hedgehog sleeping slumped across the table. His eyes flickered behind his lids before Charles let out an elongated and sleepy groan, his pale-blue eyes opened slowly. The moment the sun hit his newly exposed pupils Charles swivelled his head and quills around to avoid the light shining in his eyes. It was at this moment the mild-blue hedgehog became aware that he was leaning on something that was too soft to be a table surface.

'Huh…?' He murmured, still not fully awake as he lifted his head and gazed down at the pillow before him. For a split second he was confused before he realised that his little brother must have placed it there when he snuck back in last night, along with the blanket that had now slipped down and was resting on his back-quills. Suddenly remembering about his demonstration to the Mobian Council symposium that was scheduled for the afternoon the mild-blue hedgehog sat up straight and pulled the pillow away from the table, expecting to find his papers screwed up underneath. Amazingly, they weren't there. They were lying at the other side of the table, bunched together in a manner that suggested that Jules had merely swept them out of the way before slipping the pillow under his head. Charles sighed with relief, his papers were out of order rather than a crumpled mess he'd have to rewrite. His little brother had probably just done it absent-mindedly but in doing so had done him a kindness. Pulling the blanket off his back Charles refolded it and stuffed it back into the cabinet with the pillow before glancing at the clock on the wall. It read eleven-thirty. He wasn't due at the Council Hall until three so he had time to check on his brother, fix breakfast then pop into Mobotroplis University to meet up with Professor Morgan who was going with him for support when he faced the council. Charles returned to the table and reorganized his papers into numerical order before packing them into a folder. He then tucked them with his ring-restraint gun into the backpack he'd had sat under the table. He then left the bag in the hallway and ascended the stairs to go check on his little brother.

The top floor of the Hedgehog home was smaller than downstairs but it still had four decent rooms: a bathroom and three bedrooms. The mild-blue hedgehog passed his own room which had his name on the door along with a make-shift poster he'd made as a young hedgehoglet. It was slightly discoloured now but the crudely painted letters still read: Jules Stay Out! Not that that had helped at the time, his annoying little brother chose not to understand the sign… something he still did today. The door was slightly ajar revealing his room which was neat and orderly with the kind of cleanliness that only came with an organized mind. The next room was the shared bathroom before he passed the bedroom that had used to be their father's and now sat bare..

* * *

Jules' bedroom was right on the other end of the hallway. As he approached his brother's room the nineteen year old hedgehog paused to put one mild-blue ear to the door, listening intently. When he heard nothing but light snoring he pushed the door open. Unlike Charles, his cobalt brother was nowhere near as neat and tidy as he was. Posters hung squinty on the walls depicting music bands Jules liked while a notice-board held a collage of photos featuring him with his friends, Charles and their deceased parents. Some of his dirty white sport-socks littered the floor along with a few red vests. His brown combat boots were just kicked off and tossed to the side without any regard towards neatness. The mild-blue hedgehog could tell just from looking at the upturned sole of the nearest boot that Jules needed a new pair. It was so worn down by all his running around that the sole had almost disappeared with a slight hint of the shoe-itself coming through. Charles had once joked to his cobalt little brother that he would be better off with tyre-rubber on the soles of his feet. But with the amount of shoes that Jules went through he was starting to think about this seriously as he'd be saving his brother a fortune. On one wall sat a chest of drawers littered with magazines, a half-full jar of saved money, old ticket stubs and a couple of wristbands from concerts and festivals he'd been to with various friends. The last item was an old well-thumbed book entitled: The Tales of Kirby. Charles couldn't help but smile at this book. Their mother used to read these fables to him every night when he was tiny and after she died his little brother had inherited it from her so that when he learned to read Jules could carry on where she left off. The mild blue hedgehog gingerly stepped over the mess on the floor and lifted the cover of the book to see his mother's name still written in faded ink at the top-right corner: _Sonia Hedgehog. _Charles smiled at it before letting the cover fall back and turning his attention to the bed on the opposite side of the room. At the foot of this bed rested a deep-red acoustic guitar with black bridge, neck and headstock. The strings and tuners where white which stood out next to the rest of the instrument while the silver fingerboards left neat lines along the neck to the sound-hole. While Charles had spent his childhood studying to be smarter Jules had spent his learning to master this instrument. It had once been his dream to be in a band but as the cobalt hedgehog got older this childhood ambition seemed to disappear, most likely due to their father's disapproval towards the whole idea. Jules had bought this particular guitar with his first pay-check from Lickety-Split Pizzas when the novelty of earning his own money didn't come with the responsibilities it did now. When he wasn't running or working he could be found lounging lazily in the sun, strumming away to himself with a peaceful smile and not a care in the world.

A large mound under the bedclothes and three large, jagged, cobalt-blue head-quills were all that was visible of Jules Hedgehog as the sixteen year old was completely dead to the world. At least he was until Charles began to shake his upturned shoulder gently.

'Julius..' The older mild-blue hedgehog murmured, now bent in close to his brother's cobalt-blue pointed ear. '_Jules_..' Immediately the ear he'd spoken into twitched violently and it was followed by an incoherent groan.

'_Nerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh_…' Jules then fidgeted drowsily before turning over so now he was facing his brother, both eyes still shut but a slight frown was just beginning to form on his brow. 'Go _away_, Charlie..' He mumbled in a vague grumpy tone, clearly not impressed by this wake up call. Deciding to take a leaf out of his little brother's book Charles chose to ignore this statement.

'Look, I know your tired and today's your day off but just listen to me for a second will you.' The older hedgehog brother sounded in his normal tone of voice since he now knew his brother was awake. 'I'm going to be back late tonight, I have that important meeting with the council to discuss my ring-restraint gun. I noticed your boots are looking a little bald, you want me to pick you up a new pair while I'm in town?'

'Huh? Oh.. sure, that be great..' Was the sleepy response to this as one cobalt-blue eyelid peeled open part-way to reveal one hazel eye. 'There's money in the jar over there, just take what'cha need bro..' The eye shut itself again and soft snoring started as Jules began to doze. 'Anything else, just write it on the fridge…' His voice slurred groggily as he fell back asleep once more. Charles' smile widened tenderly as he reached over and ruffled the soft quills of his quiff.

'Thanks little brother..' He murmured softly before getting up and heading back to the chest of drawers and fishing some mobiums out of the jar before quietly leaving the room. As he shut the door he felt a tiny bit bad for having to rely on Jules for money. He was the eldest, it should be up to him to provide for them both but unfortunately his research and studies at university took up so much of his time he just didn't have time for a job. The Hedgehog family had never been particularly well off. They were a working-class family of grafters that had always had earned just enough to get by. As a result all the money the two had inherited from their deceased father Maurice had stretched just far enough to cover the funeral expenses and finish paying off Charles' final semester of tuition fees. This meant that Jules was the sole money-earner in the home and had to support both him and his older brother on his meagre wage. The younger hedgehog had never complained about this, he might've had his annoying little brother moments but Jules had always had a big heart and willingly stepped up to the mark.

Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs Charles picked up his backpack and slung it over one shoulder as he turned into the kitchen. Charles fixed himself a quick breakfast, eating it in silence as he contemplated the day ahead. He then scribbled a little note to his brother to do some laundry, sticking it on the fridge before leaving through the stairs to the garage. The mild-blue hedgehog then dumped his backpack into the side-car of his motorbike and gunned the engine, speeding off through the open garage door before it shut automatically behind him..

* * *

'Hey Chuck, wasn't expecting you in this morning.' Lionel greeted Charles as the nineteen year old hedgehog appeared inside the science laboratory of Mobotroplis University. Charles grinned at the blonde lion dressed in his white lab-coat, who despite his obvious tiredness seemed quite perky.

'I thought I might pop in a little early and find out if Gus set off alright.' The mild-blue hedgehog brushed his blue moustache before he set down a shoebox with his backpack on his lab-desk.

'Oh yeh.. Sherman and Cocoa were there to see him off this morning.' Lionel responded cheerfully as he picked up a cup of coffee he'd had sat by his research papers and unfinished design blue-prints.

'Cocoa?' Charles' left-side mild-blue pointed ear twitched and his pale blue eyes turning with interest. 'As in Cocoa Cat? Alicia's best friend..' He asked, his curiosity peeked at this, wondering how she had suddenly come into the picture again. Jules' and Alicia's friends had stopped hanging around together shortly after school, around the same time as the schoolyard sweethearts had broken up.

'That's the one.' The blonde lion sounded amiably to his lab-partner. 'We ran into her and her friend Ginger at the club last night and they stuck around. Both of them are studying teaching degrees here at Mobi-U. I'm meeting up with them in the cafeteria for lunch, your welcome to join us if you want.' Lionel offered kindly but Charles immediately shook his head and quills at this idea.

'No thanks, you go ahead, I've already eaten. Is Professor Morgan in yet?' The mild-blue hedgehog replied with a smile.

'Yeh, he's in a faculty meeting at the moment. Speaking of meetings, you nervous about yours with the Mobian Council this afternoon?' Lionel asked with a hint of concern forming on his brow.

'A little..' Charles sounded, his pointed ears dipping momentarily with slight anxiety. 'I've never had to get up an demonstrate one of my inventions to such a huge crowd before. Especially not when it's filled with the best scientific minds Mobius has to offer.' Lionel clicked his tongue sympathetically at this, he would be nervous too.

'I'm sure it will be fine.' The blonde lion replied. 'Think of it as practise for when you have to do it as a fully-fledged inventor. And if it goes well today they could even nominate you for the Archimedes Grant when you graduate.' Lionel then sat down in his swivel seat, placed the coffee cup down then turned back to his unfinished blue-prints. Charles stared at his lab partner in surprise at this suggestion, it had never occurred to him that they might do this. He didn't think he had the intelligence to qualify for it. The Archimedes Grant was a lump sum of mobiums that was given to those with extraordinary intelligence to spend as they saw fit. In return the genius' were to allow their vast knowledge to aid the Kingdom of Mobius whenever they were called upon. The whole scheme had been set up a century ago by one such brilliant-Mobian Archimedes Owl. He had been an inventor at the time who wanted everyone who was as smart as him to give something back to the planet which had produced them.

'You really think that?' Charles, who had been about to unzip his backpack hovered over it still looking at his lab-partner.

'Are you kidding me Chuck?' Lionel replied with a slight hint of jest mixed with shock. 'You're the smartest Mobian I know, I definitely think you'd qualify for the grant. And if you did, you'd be the youngest Mobian ever to do so!' The blonde lion then pushed a pencil to his lips and gnawed the edge contemplating his work. Behind him Charles blinked at his lab-partner before laughing lightly at his words.

'Heh, heh, that would be something wouldn't it?' The mild-blue hedgehog then plopped himself down into his swivel seat and pulled the flat white keyboard of his Holographic-Computer-System towards him. He tapped the keys to his Mobi-U network ID and password, signing into the system. He then unzipped the front pocket of his backpack and pulled out the zip-disks he'd packed last night before exhaustion took over.

'Mmm…' Was the vaguely agreeing response Lionel hummed back as he was immersed in his designs. Charles merely shrugged as he copied a few files from the computer onto his disks as back-ups before he then opened up a saved text-file and began updating his journal. There was silence as the two of them worked on their different projects before Charles broke it.

'Mind if I put the news on the radio?' The mild-blue hedgehog asked his lab-partner who was still pouring over his designs, a slight frown of annoyance twisting his brow.

'Hmm? Oh sure, go ahead Chuck. It's always good to hear what's going on in the world outside.' Lionel replied, hoping that by taking his mind off of the kink in the design before him he might figure out a solution. Immediately Charles' white-gloved hand stretched out towards the radio near the edge of his desk and clicked the button. The little red radio came to life right away and the sound of the broadcaster, though not loud, filled the room:

'_Mobotroplis is gripped as our mayoral election-candidates continue to battle it out for public support.. Mayor Whinyham finds himself under fire again from opposition young Council-elected candidate Maximillion Acorn.. Acorn claims that Whinyham__'__s __'__old-fashioned__'__ promises are not catering for Mobotroplis__'__ youth. The younger candidate was quoted saying: __'__Get with the times old horse or Mobotroplis will put you down.__'__.. Strong words indeed but __'__Slick-Whiny__'__ was fast to point out Acorn__'__s inexperience compared to his marathon twenty years in office. Whinyham hit his opponent back with: __'__If the old ways aren__'__t broken, why fix them?__'__ With animosity brewing between these two candidates this mayoral-election proves to be the most exciting one to date. Mayor Whinyham has managed to stave off challengers before but can he do it again? Acorn may be new on the scene but his promises seem to be striking a cord with younger voters and he__'__s gathering fast support. With the election date scheduled on the two-hundred an thirty-third day of this year and the election-statistics are the closest they__'__ve been in the last decade, it could still go either way..__'_

'Hey, that's Juice's seventeenth birthday..' Lionel suddenly cried out, drowning out the rest of the news bulletin. 'He'll be old enough to vote!' This was true, seventeen was the voting age in Mobius but Charles chuckled with amusement as he tried to picture his brother's face if they surprised him with a trip to the voting booth on his birthday.

'Somehow, I don't think Jules will be interested in voting.' The mild-blue hedgehog sounded as he brushed his black nose casually before his fingers returned to the keyboard.

'Your right, as usual Chuck. I think he'd kill us if we tried to make him vote on his birthday.' Lionel replied cheerfully before his blue eyes returned to his design and making a dissatisfied noise.

'Something wrong?' The mild-blue hedgehog sounded concerned as he saved his place and closed the window he'd been using.

'I can't get the calibration of energy to balance right across the board..' The blonde lion answered back in a slightly frustrated tone, finally dumping his pencil on top of his design blue-prints with fed-up sigh. Charles immediately got up from his swivel chair and headed over to his lab-partner's desk.

'Do you mind if I take a look?' The mild-blue hedgehog asked gently, wondering if he could help out in any way. Lionel glanced around as Charles appeared behind him, looking down over his shoulder at the blue-prints.

'Yeh, go ahead Chuck, I'm completely stumped.' The blonde lion put a hand to rub between his brows in a soothing manner. He really had been struggling with regulating the energy outlets of his design so they would balance evenly, a crucial factor in his invention. Charles turned his pale-blue eyes down to the blue-prints of Lionel's design and blinked. Before him sat the design of something that resembled a surf-board that floated. Despite the flaw in the design that the seventeen year old lion hadn't work out yet, the rest of it was pretty impressive. It was clearly a board designed for recreational use but this didn't surprise Charles as Lionel wanted to use technology for entertainment purposes.

'_Hmmm_..' The mild-blue hedgehog stroked his moustache thoughtfully as he pondered over the flat propulsion system's design. '-this is going to be tricky, isn't it? You need maximum thrust with a compact design that's not going to compromise on the aerodynamics of the board itself..' Charles mused out loud, quickly realising that they'd have to find a way to compress power stone energy into two outlet channels and balance the power evenly between the front and rear thrust boosters. Even though this was for a recreational prototype now, if he pulled this off Lionel's invention could pave the way to rethinking conventional transport forever.

'I _know_…' Lionel sounded with a hint of despair in his voice. '-it's been driving me mad, I just can't seem to evenly distribute energy from the power stone. It always comes through the thrust boosters unevenly. I need to find a way to fix it or the board will be on a permanent tilt, ruining the accuracy of the steering-sensors.' Charles nodded his head slowly as his mind tried to think up a solution, unfortunately he seemed to be as stumped by this as Lionel.

'You tried creating a divider?' The mild-blue hedgehog asked vaguely, trying to understand how far Lionel had gotten before getting stuck.

'Yes, that failed… miserably. It disintegrated the second the energy source came in contact with it.' The blonde lion replied. 'My conclusion is that I need to find a way to force the energy to split while it's still in the stone..' Lionel pushed his chin into his pale-yellow paw-like hand, leaning his elbow on the desk.

'That will be difficult but I don't see why it can't be done..' Charles replied earnestly, although no-one had tried to use one power stone for a multi-purpose energy source before the theory could surely work or Lionel wouldn't even be considering it.

'I'll go to the library after lunch and check out some books on the genetic make-up of power stones. If I study the stone's natural structure and energy-spike patterns perhaps it will give me an indication of how best go about the separation.' Lionel sounded, picking up his coffee mug and drinking the last of his now-cold coffee.

'Sounds like a plan..' The mild-blue hedgehog replied cheerfully to this and straightened, pulling away from Lionel's desk. 'And maybe you'll run into that girl who was helping the librarian again.' Charles added with light jesting and immediately the blonde lion flushed with embarrassment. The last time he and Charles had gone to check out books Lionel had run into the librarian's student assistant. She'd been a shy, willowy, red-haired lioness with pretty brown eyes dressed in plain clothes. When Charles had spoken to her, as Lionel was too nervous at the time, she was a veritable mine of information on both the library itself and the books it held. Her incredible knowledge only deepened Lionel's infatuation with her but he had yet to work out how to speak to her.. It was only thanks to his lab-partner that he even knew her name.

'You mean Emma?' The blonde lion tried to sound casual but since the hedgehog had already seen his blushes it was pointless trying to hide it.

'Oh. Is that her name?' Charles sounded feigning forgetfulness while his smile had a slight mocking edge to it. Lionel frowned lightly in response.

'Make fun of me all you want Chuck, but it will happen to you one day.' The blonde lion shot back with a slightly smug smile. He would love to see how Charles would deal with an infatuation of his own.

'Chance would be a fine thing..' The mild-blue hedgehog actually sighed at this. Although Charles didn't regret a single hour he'd spent cooped up inside the university science-lab he sometimes did wonder if his intelligence was holding him back. He'd always been so focused on his various projects that he'd never really had the chance to notice girls, never mind got on a date with one.

'Hey, your only turning twenty next month. Your not old yet..' The lion sounded in a comforting tone. Though he wasn't quite as smart as his older lab-partner Lionel understood the drawbacks of intelligence. The mild-blue hedgehog wandered over to the coffee machine on the opposite wall and helped himself to a fresh cup of coffee. When he turned back and headed towards his desk he threw a sympathetic smile towards his frazzled lab-partner.

'Do you fancy helping me out with a little side-project for a while?' Charles asked the blonde lion and this caused Lionel to throw him curious look.

'Sure, why not? Anything to take my mind off this for the moment..' The lion pushed his swivel seat back and turned his back on his own project, having had enough of it's madding design problem for now. His blue eyes then frowned curiously as the mild-blue hedgehog pulled the shoebox, that he had brought in with his backpack, towards him. Charles opened it and pulled out the brand-new, size eleven, brown combat boots. Lionel recognised them as an exact duplicate to the worn-down set Jules usually wore. Suddenly the blonde lion understood the nature of this 'side-project'.

'Those boots are for Juice, right?' He asked, looking for confirmation his theory more than anything.

'Yes. But the tough rubber on these boots wear out far too quickly due to the road-friction against Jules' speed.' The mild-blue hedgehog replied amiably though he frowned at the boots in a slightly contemplative manner.

'So you want to find out if we can create a rubber sole that will withstand the huge friction created when he reduces speed, right?' The lion sounded keenly with a wide smile, following his lab-partner now.

'Exactly..' Charles replied with a grin to the younger Mobian opposite.

'Well, I think we have ourselves a basic hypothesis here, I'll just jot it down.' Lionel grinned back, pulling a notepad and pencil over from his desk and scribbling down the worded scientific proposal while the older Mobian supervised this..

* * *

Professor Morgan hummed to himself as he walked down the familiar hallway of Mobotroplis University, heading in the direction of his domain, the Science and Technology department. He had just returned from the latest faculty meeting and was planning to check on his charges. The good thing about being in charge of scientific student-minds was that due to their intelligence and hunger for knowledge they were slightly more mature than the average university student. Therefore they could be trusted to get on with their projects unsupervised without getting into too much mischief. Like all teachers Professor Morgan sought only to help his students better themselves and just like others he had his favourites too. The dark-skinned Overlander with short-grey frizzy hair and kind blue eyes hidden behind rectangular spectacles, glanced in through the glass window into a Physics 101 lecture. It was being taught by a short rotund Mobian-terrier named Dr Barkenstien, who looked like he was discussing the properties of a tough metal known as mobibindum. Nate Morgan smiled to himself as everybody inside looked happy and since there was no reason to interrupt the lesson the Head of the Science and Technology department pulled away, straitening his lab-coat and continued down the hall. He checked on a few more classes before he checked out a room entitled: Independent Learning. Inside there were students studying without the aid of a teacher, finishing off projects and writing out their assignments without help. Not that they really had to look far if they needed advice from a lecturer. Satisfied that everybody seemed relaxed and comfortable Professor Morgan turned down the hallway and headed towards Science Laboratory number 2A to check on one of the new students who was fast becoming a favourite of his. Lionel Lion was only weeks into his freshman year here and he'd already caught the former-Overlander's imagination with his ideas for updating entertainment. Nate Morgan had solely focused on making the practical side of living more comfortable and convenient for Mobians everywhere but this young lion wanted to take it further in an area he'd never really given much thought. The dark-skinned Overlander had patted himself on the back for pairing him up with his greatest student Charles Hedgehog. They got on well and they made a great team..

The intelligence of this unassuming blue hedgehog had astounded even Nate Morgan at the time they first met.. He knew that rare gems like Charles must be treasured and nurtured with care. So rather than assign him to one of his colleagues Nate Morgan chose to teach Charles himself, away from others so he could hone the hedgehog's mind without distraction. As his three years in Mobotroplis University continued Charles turned from a student into a friend and recently Professor Morgan had begun to notice that now it seemed his finest student was starting to teach him. This was something that was entirely new but the old lecturer and former Minister of Science revelled in it. It made him almost sad knowing that he was graduating soon but the old professor knew that his greatest student and friend would always stay in touch. Nate had wanted to give Charles a helping hand in the right direction to fulfilling his ambition to become a famous inventor which was why he had arranged this meeting with the Mobian Council. Professor Morgan knew they would accept his idea of the ring-restraint gun, it was a device that completely encapsulated what Mobius was all about. And once Charles was gone from Mobotroplis University the former-Overlander planned to turn his attentions onto young Lionel Lion and see what he could do for him. As the old professor approached the laboratory of his two prized pupils he could here two voices coming from the other side. He smiled to himself recognising both his favourite students in a heated discussion over something. It seemed that Charles just couldn't stay away after all. Curious to see what they were discussing Professor Nate Morgan opened the door and slipped inside without either of his students noticing.

'What we really need is to see Jules' old set of boots so we can determine exactly how much of the rubber is worn off in which part of the boot..' Lionel was saying as he studied the sole of the left-side boot, taking notes on how it appeared brand-new and untouched.

'That's easy enough to obtain, I'll just keep hold of his old set.' Charles waved his gloved hand casually before writing a reminder so he wouldn't forget this.

'Perfect.' Lionel sounded cheerfully. 'We'll have to get him to agree to a brake test so we can estimate the volume of rubber that comes off his boots on asphalt roads. Have you seen the skid-marks his boots have produced? I'd estimate at least a few millimetres are eroded in one week of skidding at least.' The lion sounded with a touch of experience behind him.

'Great idea, I'll be sure to ask him later. And yeh, I think you might be right these enough brown-rubber deposit to suggest at lease a two millimetre loss..' Charles replied looking as eager as his lab-partner as they made notes under their hypothesis.

'My, my this all sounds very exciting boys..' Nate Morgan suddenly spoke, making his presence known to his students. Both Charles and Lionel turned in surprise and smiled at the old professor. 'What is it we're working on today?' The dark-skinned man smiled back kindly to them as he walked over to Charles' lab-desk were his two students had been working together.

'We're trying to see if we can develop a more robust rubber for the base of these boots, one that can withstand the fleet-footed movements of Chuck's brother.' Lionel instantly replied with a bright smile, looking eager despite his obvious tiredness.

'Ah, I see..' Murmured Morgan as he stroked his grey goatee. 'Trying to see if you can prolong the life of his boots? Very interesting..' The old professor looked thoughtful for a moment before he spoke, this time to the mild-blue hedgehog.

'Tell me Charles, on average how many boots would you estimate your younger brother can run through in a year?' Professor Morgan sounded seriously in a tone that reminded the hedgehog of an old straight-talking mathematics teacher. For a second Charles, like the smart hedgehog he'd always been, was about to answer this out loud. But when he opened his mouth his jaw slackened and his eyes clouded over, the sudden realisation of what his old professor was getting at hitting home hard. For a few seconds he merely stood there completely stupefied before shaking his head of mild-blue quills and grinning manically.

'Sir.. that's _genius_..' The nearly twenty year old hedgehog cried out instantly and dived into his swivel seat. He then snatched the notepad and pencil away from a bemused Lionel who could only watch as the zealous hedgehog scribbled out a huge series of advanced mathematical equations, muttering as his incredible mind worked out the symbols.

'What've I missed?' Lionel blinked, still a little stunned by Charles' brainwave. Professor Morgan chuckled light-heartedly at the blonde lion.

'Well Lionel, by asking Charles how many boots his brother runs through in a year I have triggered him into calculating a mathematically estimated guess at the average loss of rubber in one erosive breaking-slide.' The old professor pulled a third white swivel-chair and sat beside Lionel to explain further. Opposite them Charles continued to mutter and work out the sums. 'You see, by using a series of averages based on what Charles knows about his brother's habits, and how many days it takes young Jules to wear down his boots before he needs to replace them. Charles can work out an educated guess, giving you boys something to work with before you can execute your experiments with Jules.' The dark-skinned man smiled as Lionel looked momentarily blown away by all this information.

'And knowing Charles, we won't have to wait long for an answer..' Professor Morgan answered as his clear blue eyes returned to his greatest student. He merely folded his arms and seemed to wait for the hedgehog to finish his calculations. The two of them sat in silence for a few more seconds as Charles' scribbling slowed down until finally, the pencil dropped. For a moment he merely sat there circling his wrist to stave of the threat of carpal tunnel before his pale blue eyes turned to his fellow scientists.

'At least zero-point-zero-three millimetres lost in one average break-slide. But that's still variable to the exact speed and distance he's moving at during his run.' Charles spoke in a weary voice, even though he'd done his sums in record time the toll of it had worn him down.

'Excellent Charles.' Professor Morgan declared brightly. 'Well it seems you like you boys have found a starting point.' The dark-skinned man checked his wristwatch and smiled brightly. 'And would you look at that, right before lunch too.'

'Lunch?' Lionel sounded with a start, double checking the time on the large wall clock of the university laboratory. 'Oh gosh, I better move if I'm gonna meet Cocoa and Ginger.' The blonde lion then pushed himself away from the table and wheeled over to his own desk, still sitting in his swivel seat. 'I'll be back at one Chuck.' Lionel pulled off his white lab-coat and pulled on a brown jacket that now sat over his green coloured polo-neck.

'See you then Lionel..' Charles waved his lab-partner off casually.

'Bye Professor.' The blonde lion called back cheerfully waving goodbye to Nate Morgan before grabbing his green backpack and disappearing out of the door. As the door swung back with a muffled bang the old professor turned to the only student left in the room.

'Why didn't you go with him Charles?' Nate Morgan sounded in a warm gentle tone of concern.

'You heard him, he's meeting up with friends..' Charles replied. '-besides, I'm really not that hungry.' The nearly twenty year old hedgehog pulled the notepad of his and Lionel's mixed notes to him, as well as the white keyboard to his Holographic-Computer-System. Using the finger-pad Charles removed the sleep-mode screensaver and opened a brand new text-file.

'Charles..' Nate drawled in the same sighing tone of sadness that made the mild-blue hedgehog want to roll his eyes.

'Don't say it. I know where this is going.' Charles responded in a dismissive manner before pulling the notepad to him and rewriting up the hypothesis for his latest side-project.

'If you know where this is going Charles then you'll understand my concerns.' Nate replied seriously and immediately the hedgehog's shoulders sagged. 'It's not good to shut yourself off from your peers like this.' The mild-blue hedgehog paused in his typing before turning back to his lecturer and friend.

'So you've been telling me for the last three years professor but with all due respect I've never had anything in common with my peers.' Charles spoke with a slight scowl before returning to his typing.

'Have you made any attempt to find common ground? Your interests must surely extend beyond science.' Nate Morgan asked curiously and once again Charles paused from his typing, this time to throw his mentor a narrow-eyed look. 'Alright, alright..' The dark-skinned man raised his hands, recognising the look for what it was really saying and holding his hands up in defeat. '-I won't pry Charles.. But you can't just sit in a laboratory and watch life pass you by, it's unhealthy. Especially for one as young as yourself.'

'I understand what your saying Professor Morgan but you don't have to worry about me.' Charles went back to finishing the work he was doing on his computer. Once he'd stopped typing he turned and smiled warmly to his mentor. 'My brother Jules would never let me remain cooped up in a laboratory for longer than a day without sticking his nose into my business.'

'Ah yes.' Nate Morgan drawled with a contemplative smile. 'Your free-spirited little brother.. How is it that in the three years you've been here Charles I have not had the pleasure of meeting him? From what you've told me he sounds like an interesting young Mobian.' The mild-blue hedgehog glanced at his mentor, 'interesting' was certainly one word to describe Jules.

'He's ages with Lionel so he was still in school for the first two years I was here. And ever since dad died we've both been so busy we've barely seen each other.' Charles responded truthfully. It had never occurred to the mild-blue hedgehog to invite Jules into the university. He had no doubts that his little brother would tag along if asked, the cobalt hedgehog never missed a chance to try and understand Charles' work. Jules may not be as smart as his brother but his high-school diploma in Engineering meant that even if he didn't understand the full scientific reasoning behind it the cobalt hedgehog could easily follow the technical side of his projects.

'I do hope I get a chance to meet him before your graduation Charles.' Professor Morgan sounded lightly and immediately Charles stroked his moustache thoughtfully.

'Well, I'm sure I could convince Jules to come here to perform the speed tests required for the side-project. After all, there isn't any asphalt in Knothole..' The mild-blue hedgehog smiled, the more he thought about it the more he liked the idea of introducing his brother to his 'home away from home'. If he showed his brother around his department in the University then Jules would be able to come onto campus and find him if he needed anything, at least until Charles graduated in in a months time.

'Wonderful..' Nate Morgan replied before his expression turned business-like. 'Now your all set for this afternoon?'

'Yes, I have everything I need in my backpack..' Charles replied before rubbing the back of his quills in a tense manner. 'Although I must admit I'm getting slightly nervous now..' He confessed as he lowered his gloved-hand again.

'Don't be.' The dark-skinned professor replied warmly. 'After I showed them your designs they were excited to meet you and get to know you better.'

'Get to know me?' Charles' blue-quilled head swivelled around to his mentor in shock. 'I thought I was only giving a demonstration?' The nearly twenty year old hedgehog spoke with genuine fear in his voice now.

'You are. But they also want to find out a little bit about the hedgehog behind the design. It's nothing for you to worry about, it's just an informal chat, nothing else..'

'Well…' Charles drawled with a casual brush of his bushy eyebrows. 'If it's just an informal chat they want, I guess I can handle that.' He sounded with an amiable smile.

'That's my student..' Nate Morgan smiled back.

* * *

The afternoon in Mobius University flew by and all too soon it was time for Charles Hedgehog and his lecturer Professor Morgan to leave for their meeting with the Mobian Council. After waving goodbye to his lab-partner Lionel, who wished him luck, the mild-blue hedgehog mounted his motorcycle with the old professor sitting in the side-car beside him. It did not take long for the pair to arrive outside the grand council building. It was a huge building decorated with ornate stone-carved designs which featured infamous and historical Mobians, tall supporting pillars holding the roof up. The tall windows were arched but not imposing against the beautiful building. On a flag poll the Mobius flag fluttered proudly. It depicted a Chaos Emerald surrounded by white, illustrating it's power, which split the flag background into four sections that were filled in with red and blue. Although he wasn't quite as patriotic as his little brother Charles still felt a swell of pride when he laid eyes on the flag.

'Ready to go inside and meet the council members?' Nate Morgan's voice pulled the mild-blue hedgehog's pale-blue eyes away from Mobius' flag and back to his lecturer who was stood beside him.

'Ready as I'll ever be.' Charles replied as he slid his fingers around the straps of his backpack, which had been on his back the whole time, smiling nervously.

'Then let's go.' The dark-skinned man said gently as he placed a hand against the backpack, guiding his student inside the building. The Mobian Council building was even more sumptuous on the inside as it's floor was part-covered by a bright blue carpet which left the high-polished floorboards at the edge on show. The curtains and drapes were in bright reds and greens, matching the colours of the Mobian flag while the walls were an almost clinical-white. There were natural stone-carved figures including Archimedes Owl and the founders of the Liberty Bill that became the principles behind the modern-Mobius way of life: Thomas Hedgehog and Alexander Acorn. The nearly twenty year old mild-blue hedgehog gazed around in wonderment at the splendid attire of the huge oval entrance hall. There was so many things to look at and so much knowledge to be gleaned that Charles senses seemed to overload before the dark-skinned man beside him spoke, breaking his concentration.

'This way Charles..' Professor Morgan sounded in a soft voice and immediately began to walk towards a huge set of doors on the left hand side. After taking one last fleeting look around the incredible entrance the mild-blue hedgehog followed his lecturer to the huge double-doors. When the dark-skinned man opened the doors it revealed a long hallway, the floor and walls matching the oval-entrance they had come from. This time however the hall was lined with stone busts of infamous Mobian Council members including Nate Morgan himself, leading up to another set of doors at the other end. As the two of the arrived at the identical dark-wood doors with brass-like handles Nate turned to his brightest student.

'Here..' Professor Morgan sounded, suddenly unzipping Charles' backpack and pulling out his white lab-coat, which he'd stuffed in there so it wouldn't get dirty on the motorbike ride over. '-put this on.' The mild-blue hedgehog allowed his lecturer to take his backpack as he put on his lab-coat. 'Don't be nervous Charles. Inside this room there are only Mobians who have dedicated their lives to make ours better. They are no different from us.' The nearly twenty year old hedgehog looked up at Professor Morgan with in his pale-blue eyes. His nerves had kept him quiet ever since he entered the building and for the first time since entering the Mobian Council building Charles spoke.

'Thanks Professor, I'll try to bear that in mind.' The mild-blue hedgehog smiled grateful for these words. At this moment they'd been just what he needed to hear.

'Shall we?' Professor Nate Morgan smiled back, still holding onto Charles' backpack. At these words a steely resolve of determination swept over the young hedgehog. He was ready to face this challenge head on.

'Let's do it.' Charles declared unwaveringly as he formed momentary fists to punctuate his words. The dark-skinned man beside him then raised his hand to the nearest door and pushed it open, allowing Charles to enter the room first..

* * *

The Mobian Council of Ministers were nowhere near as stern or intimidating as Charles had pictured, in fact they were exactly as Professor Nate had said they were. A normal group of Mobians. When the nine council members first laid eyes on the young hedgehog, who entered with their esteemed former Minister of Science Nate Morgan, they smiled warmly hoping to put this young Mobian at ease. From the design specks that Professor Morgan had shown them and what he'd told them of this student's intelligence and aptitude they were keen to see him for themselves. It soon became abundantly clear to the nine council members that the former-minister Nate Morgan had been absolutely right about Charles Hedgehog. All nine sets of eyes widened as the mild-blue hedgehog whipped out his ring-restraint gun. With it's impressive technology and renewable power-cells it came across as an incredible piece of kit. They listened carefully as Charles clearly explained his reasons for inventing such a device and how the same principles behind siphoning energy from Chaos Emeralds to create Power Rings was used to create the glowing blue ring-manacles from less-volatile power stones.

'As you can see, the rings form a tough and secure barrier making it virtually impossible for the captive party to escape..' Charles was saying confidently, now that he had relaxed considerably in the company of the ministers in front of him. The hedgehog smiled at his aging mentor who'd agreed to be used as a target for the demonstration, right now he was struggling with the restraints to show they're durability. 'Then to release my captive all I do is slide this button backwards..' Charles switched the ring gun to 'recall' and pulled back the rings from around his mentor's wrists. After demonstrating that it could also be used on far away targets and to impede moving targets as well Charles Hedgehog removed the restraint-rings for the final time and assisted Professor Morgan to his feet, as he'd been sprawled out on the floor after tripping due to the rings around his ankles.

'This is most impressive young Hedgehog. What a marvellous device you have managed to conjure up.' The current Minister of Science said. He was a kindly smiling white and brown tawny-owl who happened to be a descendant of the late Archimedes Owl. 'And I'm sure my fellow ministers agree with me when I say, it is rare to see such brilliance displayed from one as young as yourself.' There was a murmur of agreement from the other eight ministers around them. For a moment the group of Mobian Council Ministers began to mutter in a moment of silent discussion before their attention turned back to the nearly twenty year old blue hedgehog in front of them.

'We would be happy to allow these devices to be used in Mobian society..' The Minister of Science spoke again, taking the lead as this was science they were discussing.

'You would?' The mild-blue hedgehog sounded, stunned but pleased that they approved of his invention. 'Thank you sir, thank you very much.' His voice was slightly breathless now as he stepped forwards and shook the Mobian tawny-owl by his feathered hand.

'Not at all, young hedgehog. You have earned this..' The Minister of Science let go of the young hedgehog's gloved-hand. 'But indulge an old bird's curiosity for a moment, when was the last time your IQ was tested?' Clearly this was the Mobian Minister of Defence talking.

'Oh..' Charles blinked confused, trying to remember this but drawing a blank. Fortunately he was saved from answering by his lecturer who was stood a little behind him.

'Charles has not received an IQ test since arriving at Mobotroplis University three years ago. The results can be found in his permanent record, but I imagine if you are asking you will want to administer a test of your own.' Nate Morgan spoke clearly to his successor and the current Minister of Science threw him a smile. The dark-skinned man had a feeling he knew where this was heading even though Charles still looked bemused.

'I would indeed. If, of course, our young friend here is willing to be tested.' The tawny-owl smiled down at the mild-blue hedgehog and Charles instantly glanced back to his lecturer and friend. Professor Morgan threw him a reassuring smile along with a gesture indicating he should answer the Minister of Science.

'I guess I don't mind taking an IQ test, but can I ask why you want me to take one?' Charles' focus returned to the brown and white tawny owl seated before him. His voice sounded more confident than he felt right now. Immediately the Minister of Science beamed widely at the mild-blue hedgehog in front of him.

'Yes. You can. That's the beauty of science my boy, you can ask as many questions as you like.' The tawny owl then continued in a slightly more serious tone. 'I wonder, have you heard of the Archimedes Grant young Hedgehog?' Immediately this caused Charles' brushy blue brows to raise slightly.

'Yes sir, I have but surely I'm too young to receive such an honour-' Charles began before the Minister of Science cut him off.

'_Nonsense_.' The tawny owl shook his head roughly. 'My great-grandfather's grant was created for those with high intelligence who wish to give a little something back to Mobius. Your age has nothing to do with this whatsoever, though if you did qualify you would be the youngest Mobian ever to do so.' He added the last piece matter-of-factly, still smiling at the hedgehog in front of him.

'Who will be administering the test to me?' Charles couldn't help but be curious about the IQ test now.

'I will be of course.' The tawny owl replied with a smile before he pulled a little black diary out of his own lab-coat pocket and opened it to the date. 'We'll schedule the IQ test for ten o'clock next week, how does that sound? I'll bring everything necessary with me to the university. That way we can do it somewhere where you feel comfortable and secure.' The Minister of Science's pen hovered over the time-slot as his big round yellow eyes turned to Charles.

'Ten o'clock next week?' The mild-blue hedgehog mused over this to himself, wondering why it sounded as if something else was happening that day. Then it hit him, Jules' physical try-outs for the Royal Guard were on that day, at the exact same time too!

'Is this a bad time?' The tawny owl's voice washed over Charles and he blinked, realising he must've spoke out loud.

'No. No. Ten next week is fine.' The mild-blue hedgehog sounded with a hint of awkwardness as he rubbed the back of his head-quills. He really had to stop muttering his thoughts aloud.

'Wonderful!' The tawny owl cried out pleased, pencilling in the appointment then and there. 'I will be able to determine whether or not you qualify for the Archimedes Grant once I have scored your IQ. It's been a pleasure meeting you young Hedgehog..' He them turned to Nate Morgan adding, '-and it was good seeing you again Professor Morgan.'

'Likewise Professor Owl..' The dark-skinned man shook hands with his successor smiling. 'We'll just show ourselves out..' The council members then bid them goodbye and good luck for the following week and both Charles and Nate Morgan left the Mobian Council building.

'Sir?' Charles sounded curiously as he stuffed his lab-coat back inside his backpack before slinging it around his shoulders again, causing his back-quills to bend sideways so it sat flush with his back.

'Yes Charles..' Nate Morgan replied cheerfully as he settled himself back inside the side-car of the motorcycle.

'You were once Minister of Science, right?' Charles asked as he climbed back onto his motorbike, sitting astride it with the stand still in place so it wouldn't move.

'I was indeed.' The Head of Science and Technology at Mobotroplis University sounded with an amiable smile. He had a feeling he knew where this was going.

'So you know what's going to be involved with this IQ test I'll be taking.' The hedgehog asked carefully.

'Yes Charles but I cannot reveal anything to you.' Nate replied with a slight hint of sorrow in his voice. The mild-blue Hedgehog gazed at his lecturer for a moment before the old professor continued. 'It would be unethical of me to do so. This test is merely to determine how much information you have naturally managed to store away in your mind. There's no need to study for this particular test Charles, the answers are already locked away in here..' He tapped his temple to illustrate his point. '-you merely have to find them for yourself.'

'Oh.' Charles responded looking a little embarrassed for asking now.

'I will give you some advice though.' Professor Morgan said in a kind voice causing the mild-blue hedgehog to suddenly look curious once more. 'Don't worry about it. Use the days from now until your test to relax and get plenty of rest. Your going to need it.' The dark-skinned man chuckled good-naturedly as the two of them set off back towards Mobotroplis University.

* * *

The early summer sun was just beginning to set when Charles finally drove back into the Great Forest and into Knothole. The sky was now a soft orange colour the sun was sitting low on the western horizon while the huge redwoods of the forest around him created shadows as the sunlight streamed through gaps between the trees. As the Hedgehog family home came into sight Charles could see clean washing hanging out on the line outside, proving Jules had done the laundry like the note on the fridge had said. He just hadn't taken it in yet and it was going to be dark soon. Once Charles had parked his motorcycle he headed out to gather in the washing, wondering what had caused his little brother to forget about it. Without the drone of his motorbike the answer became clear as he stepped outside. He could hear the faint strings of Jules' guitar playing, coming from somewhere around the back of their log cabin. Momentarily forgetting about the washing Charles headed around the back of their home, following the gentle strumming of acoustic guitar music. It did not take long for the mild-blue hedgehog to find his cobalt little brother. Jules was lounging lazily on a wide branch around ten feet up the large nearest tree. The sixteen year old cobalt hedgehog was soaking up the waning sun with his eyes shut while his fingers languidly plucked on the white strings of his deep red acoustic guitar.

'Jules..' Charles called up the tree towards his brother and this caused one of Jules' warm hazel eyes to open a little and glance lazily down.

'Hey Charlie..' He replied airily, continuing to strum his serene tune. 'How'd it go?'

'Great. But I'll tell you about it if you help me take in the washing before it gets dark.' Charles called back up with a slight smirk, predicting how his brother would respond.

…_Twang!_

Jules' eyes widened as he straightened in shock, his strumming coming an abrupt halt.

'Oh yeh..' He drawled sheepishly, suddenly remembering about the washing that had just been abandoned on the clothes-line. 'Sorry bro, guess I forget about that.' Immediately the cobalt teen swiftly reattached the black arm-strap of his guitar and slung it around his shoulder so the instrument lay alongside his back-quills. He then edged to the wide trunk and slid down the tree, jumping off at the last second before touchdown and landing on the ground beside his brother.

'My bad.' The cobalt hedgehog sounded the moment he faced Charles but rather than be annoyed the older brother merely smiled wearily.

'Ah, it doesn't matter. Let's just get it in before the sun disappears.' The mild-blue hedgehog replied. It didn't take the two brothers long to pull in their clean laundry inside.

'So what did the Mobian Council say?' Jules asked, carrying the laundry basket as his older brother led him into the living room where they began folding their clothes.

'They liked it. Said they 'would be happy' for Mobius to use it.' Charles replied as he hung his clean spare lab-coat on a coat-hanger.

'What does that mean?' The cobalt hedgehog frowned in bemusement at his older brother.

'I dunno, to be honest I think they were more interested in me than my ring-restraint gun.' Charles moved onto rolling the white sport-socks into pairs and splitting the pile between them.

'Really? What makes you say that?' Jules blinked, pausing as he picked up one of his red vests.

'The Minister of Science wanted to know if I'd ever had my IQ tested which I haven't had done since the start of my freshman year.' At Charles' words the younger hedgehog's brows contracted with intrigue. 'Then he asked me if I would be prepared to under go an IQ test to determine whether or not I could qualify for the Archimedes Grant.'

'The Archimedes Grant?' If Jules had been confused before he was completely lost now. Charles chuckled lightly at his brother's confused face, he wasn't surprised that his little brother didn't know what the Archimedes Grant was.

'Its this scheme where the Mobian government give those with the highest IQ a lump sum of mobiums to spend as they wish but in return they must repay the Kingdom of Mobius with their intelligence.' The mild-blue hedgehog explained the grant-scheme to his younger sibling.

'Wow. That is pretty cool. So when do you take this test?' Jules said with a smile, impressed that there was even such a scheme but from his brother's perspective it did sound exciting.

'Funnily enough it's scheduled at the exact same time you have to go in for your try-outs with the Royal Guard.' Charles said with a smile as they finished off folding their laundry.

'Well that's great Charlie..' Jules grinned widely to his older brother causing Charles' smile to widen. 'Now I don't have to worry about being late.' The cobalt hedgehog threw his older brother a thumbs up sign before picking up his laundry pile and heading off to his room, his guitar still resting against his back comfortably. Immediately Charles sighed heavily as his eyes rolled upwards then watched his little brother leave with jaded expression.

'_Urh_, some things are never going to change..' The mild-blue hedgehog shook his head lightly before picking up his pile, heading to his own room. He silently wondered if Jules was actually going to put his clothes away or just dump them on his chest of drawers like usual.

* * *

_Little Notes:_

_Ok, I'm coming to the conclusion that chapters in this story are going to have to be three times longer than any of my previous stories just so I can fit all the details I want in. I've resigned to the fact that this will probably be a long fic but I will be doing some time jumping to pass a few years as I can't write everything. I'm trying to get this story well established by chap10 so I can introduce the main arc… but we'll see._

_I really want to try and explore the brotherly relationship between Jules and Charles, in the comics they seemed pretty close but there really was no real sense of sibling behaviour (like pointless arguing or slight irritation of sibling habits, or even sibling rivalry.. which doesn't die BELIEVE ME!) apart from one or two minor tiffs the two don't really interact much in a sibling manner. There's probably going to be a lot of it from the point of view of Charles, as an oldest sibling I can really identify with the irritation and slight burdens of having a younger sibling (yes, I said burdens… it's an older-sibling thing) though there are good points too which will come out._

_Anyway stay tuned.._

_~Ditzy x_


	6. Trials Of A Royal Kind

**A Tale of Two Brothers**

_Hey Peeps, I don't own anything related to Sonic or his universe, that's SEGA and all other companies relevant to the creation of his various back-stories, and even though most of them have tanked it now that is besides the point… Honestly, I actually own very little in this fic (next to nothing to be exact) but this is __my__ story and even though I am using characters from Archie, DiC and SEGA I will be fleshing many of them out because they were only 2-dimensional so in some ways they will appear very OC… hopefully you'll bear with me! Anyway, I've bored you to tears with this disclaimer so enjoy… and let me know what you think! X_

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**Review Replies:**

**DanceDream: Hahaha… either that or you were just killing time! ;) And I get what you mean, I actually read a few 'parents' fics and to be honest I didn't like most of them which is why I decided to write my own. And I agree with you on the Archie front, I didn't mind it when it was all about Sonic and his friends and family taking on Robotnik but the second it changed into aliens and alternate realities it had gone to far… and I saw an interview clip on Sonic Underground that explained that the only reason they didn't give Sonic a dad was because Chuck was already his established father figure (though if that was the case what was the point in his adoptive parents at the start?). Thank you, if you're a Grammar Nazi then I guess you can call me a Detail Devil, I have this thing where I like to be as descriptive as possible but still leave subtle things to the reader's imagination. I read so many fics and think 'well you could put more detail into this' or 'your really didn't need to write that' but, hey, we're all different. As for why I use apostrophes instead of quotations, I think it's a quirk… I don't know why but I find them oddly clunky, I guess I'm weird like that. And thank you, I didn't want to make it obvious to what Lionel was inventing, I figured Sonic fans would pick that up no problem… I also agree with you on Jules, his story will probably be what most of this fic is about as how many chaps can you fill with Charlie inventing things? And as for Jules being a lot like Sonic, his character bio actually states that in his youth Jules was like his son in personality before he was robotized.. I do have some subtle character differences for them and a few things in Aleena that will relate to Sonic too (apart from the super-spin move featured in chap4)… No worries on the review front, I totally understand and can relate, and if you still reading this after the long winded reply… enjoy the new chap! X**

**Slayer 666: Hahaha! I'm glad you called yourself that! And this is most definitely not going to be M-Rated because I wouldn't be comfortable with that. I can't really do adult scenes without feeling awkward so the best action your going to see in this fic is a bit of first and second base and that's about it. But since this fic is mostly about the hedgehog brothers Jules is likely to be the only one you'll see any real action from (can you picture Charlie with a girl, cause I can't!).. As for your comments on what happens to the Sonic's parents I don't want to give that away but rest assured, they aren't going to die.. And at some point yes, both hedgehog families will interact some point later down the line but not any time soon. Enjoy this new chap X**

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**Chapter Six:****Trails Of A Royal Kind**

Mobotroplis was a vast city which spread over a distance of approximately seven hundred and eighty kilometres squared, but with a population of just over seven million Mobians living there it was hardly surprising that it was so large. It's sheer volume of dwellers made it the largest city, not only in the Green Hill Zone but also the whole of Mobian-inhabited Mobius. Mobotroplis had been considered the capital city of Mobius ever since Thomas Hedgehog became Mobius' first king and Alexander Acorn his first minister, creating the Mobian Council to keep Hedgehog's rule in check. Today Mobotroplis was still considered a power-base for the rest of the kingdom. The palace of Hedgington Hall, where the current royals still resided today, was located to the far north of the city and it's large boundaries were marked by tall white walls that separated it from the rest of the Mobotroplis. Because of Mobius' poorly tracked history at the time of initial construction nobody was one-hundred percent certain of how long Hedgington Hall had stood there for. Clues however, indicated that it had been built sometime during the turn into the thirtieth century when the royal's surname switched from Hedgehog to Hedgington, a surname the royals had successfully managed to retain until now. This theory was only indicated by paintings of monarchs that could be found lining the main ballroom, the only real glean into the palace's long untold history along with a few whispers of reigns from this indistinct period. It was only in the past century that Mobius had started logging history down, most likely inspired by the first edition of the Tales of Kirby which had come out. Though these stories did have elements that nodded towards events that most likely happened in Mobian History, some of it seemed too fantastical to be real. In many archaeological-minded Mobians this discredited the books greatly which was why they were regarded as children's fables.

Inside the outer-walls lay acres of well-manicured grounds which travelled up to the large white-stone palace standing proudly overlooking the city. Hedgington Hall was a slight-conical-pyramid building which must have been the style in the time it was built. It's lowest floor held a vast courtyard with a large water fountain, trees and other greenery broke the otherwise dull natural white-stone backdrop. This led up to the impressive entrance archway shielding the front doors of the palace itself. The first floor held all the societal rooms which were used for royal protocol and socializing with the aristocratic society. The second floor, which was two-thirds up the building, had a sequence semi-circular balconies that ran around the large dome-shaped pyramid. Glass doors that led into private rooms along with huge windows let light flood inside the royal home and these were also protected by a white-stone archways that lipped out over the glass. In times of battle the balconies could be used to defend the palace from invaders, just like the battlements that formed the tip of this grand Mobian building.

In one of the more central semi-circular balconies that looked out to the south, taking in the beautiful scenery of the front gardens and the city beyond, stood a petit lilac-furred hedgehog. Her long blonde quills cascaded down her back, the ends forming neat out-facing curls, while a golden tiara sat neatly on top of her fringe-bangs covering her lilac-pointed ears. She was dressed in a pretty turquoise dress which formed a v-neck and hugged the upper-half of her svelte figure. The skirt of her floor-length dress balled out due to petticoats. Princess Aleena had been stood leaning on the wide semi-circular balcony of her private quarters for a while, her large emerald green eyes just gazing out towards the city with a distant look on her face. It had only been four days since her excursion into Mobotroplis with her dearest friend Lara-Le, and even though neither of their parents had discovered the truth Princess Aleena just couldn't forget the cobalt hedgehog they'd met. She couldn't understand it, as a princess she met dozens and dozens of new faces frequently and none of them had ever stuck in her mind like he was now. It wasn't just because he was good looking either, she'd seen many handsome males in her social circuit before and never gave them more than a passing glance. Upper-class males were always so full of themselves, keen to boast about themselves or their family name, they were only interested in her because of her title and not who she was inside. That was what had made this cobalt male stand out. He wasn't interested in himself, that much had been obvious from his unkempt appearance, he'd been more interested in making sure she and her friend had a good time. The funny part was that even though his social manners were nowhere near perfect and his appearance was unruly, this lower-class hedgehog had been a more considerate gentlemobian towards her than any high-society male her own age.

A deep sigh escaped Princess Aleena's lips as her emerald eyes dropped from the city view to the white-stone balcony where her furless pale hands were resting comfortably. She wished she had someone to talk to about this strange mix of feelings for the cobalt hedgehog who haunted her thoughts. Unfortunately Lara-Le was not around as her father Ambassador Zayden had been called back out to Albion to convene with the Brotherhood of Guardians. So like the dutiful daughter she was Lara-Le had accompanied him along with her mother Lady Mimi-Le. There was no way the lilac-furred hedgehog was going to dare confide in any of the palace staff for fear that word would reach her father of her little excursion out, this meant that for now she was stuck trying to retain these feelings until her dearest friend returned to the mainland of Mobius.

'Aleena?' The sound of a rich familiar voice suddenly doused over the young princess causing her emerald eyes to blink as she swivelled her blonde-quilled head around to it. Standing in the doorway leading back into her huge private suite was a tall bright-green-quilled hedgehog wearing an exquisite white uniform with a red cape draped around his shoulders. The breast of his white uniform was decorated with golden buttons and a couple of medals he'd received for his combat-skills in his youth. Sitting neatly between the pointed ears of this green-quilled hedgehog was the royal crown, a couple of loose short green quills curled out of the base. It's four golden plates bent around a hat of red velvet, supporting a small green-stone replica of a Chaos Emerald and lined with a soft white fur.

'Ah, here you are my child..' King Ogilvie's deep maroon eyes flashed with kindness and the sort of relief that came with someone who had finally found what they were looking for.

'Morning father.' The lilac-furred princess sounded politely with a smile towards him, trying to mask her previous thoughts from her expression. Something of them must have lingered in her face as the King of Mobius frowned in concern at her.

'Is everything all right Aleena?' King Ogilvie the Third asked gently, walking over to his daughter and standing poker-straight beside her on the balcony with his hands clasped behind his back.

'Everything is fine father, I was just admiring the view.' Princess Aleena continued to smile sweetly as she told him this little white lie. Her eyes then turned back to look out towards the city they governed over. It was hard to say whether King Ogilvie the Third believed her or not but the fleeting glance he threw towards his only child and heir suggested a spark of doubt.

'You know you can tell me if something is bothering you dearest.' His words only highlighted the fact he didn't entirely believe her. Princess Aleena's eyes turned to her father now gazing up into his maroon ones as they took in the surrounding area, a slight hint of a smile just curving his muzzle. He seemed to be waiting for her to speak.

'It's nothing really.' The blonde-quilled hedgehog began and immediately King Ogilvie's eyes swivelled to hers. The princess' throat dried a little, knowing she was going to have to lie right to his face now. 'I was thinking about mother..' That did it. As these words left her lips the King of Mobius' slight smile vanished and his maroon eyes instantly turned away again, but not before a hint of sadness could be seen. Princess Aleena swallowed carefully before continuing, she knew she was hitting a nerve of old forgotten pain but with nobody else to turn to the lilac hedgehog needed to know something only he could tell her.

'Did you love her from the moment you met her?' The petit blonde-quilled hedgehog threw her father a searching look. King Ogilvie the Third sighed heavily, his rigid stance sagging a little as he brought his arms out from behind his back and encircled them around his daughter, grasping her shoulders comfortingly.

'To be completely honest my dear, I think my heart loved your mother long before my mind could even understand the feeling.' The green-quilled King of Mobius then rubbed her shoulders before letting go and walking back towards his daughter's private suite. Behind him Princess Aleena's neat brow kinked unsure by what he meant. She then followed her father as he stood inside her room. His maroon eyes were fixed on the portrait of the late Queen Bernadette which sat above the soft marble mantle-place. The deceased Queen of Mobius was a deep crimson-furred hedgehog and her long flowing light pink-quills had been pinned up into a bee-hive like bun which was framed by her large jewelled crown. She was dressed regally in a long flowing pastel-green dress that made her fur and quills stand out, fine jewellery sat on her fingers and wrists while an opulent necklace was draped around her neck. Her emerald eyes shone kindly towards whoever was looking at her as a gentle smile graced her soft-pink painted lips.

'I'm not sure I understand father.' Princess Aleena sounded in a confused tone from behind her father causing King Ogilvie the Third to blink before a small smile appeared, his daughter truly was innocent to the ways of love.

'It's hard to explain my child..' King Ogilvie the Third replied, his maroon eyes returning to his lilac-furred daughter who was gazing at him. 'When I first began to get to know your mother my heart seemed to flutter excitedly whenever she was in my sight, it would skip a beat whenever she got close to me and it felt heavy when we were apart.' The young princess felt her insides twinge a little as he was describing how she felt about the cobalt hedgehog she had met only days ago. The green-furred King of Mobius had turned back to gaze at his late wife so missed his daughter's discomfort. 'At first I couldn't understand what these feelings were but the more I interacted with my dear Bernadette my mind slowly began to catch up with my heart. And when I was ready to give it to your mother she took very good care of my heart until she died..' A sad smile curved King Ogilvie's lips before he turned back to his daughter. 'What is it that has brought on this curiosity Aleena?' His eyes suddenly surveying his daughter with interest.

'_Oh_. I was just wondering what it was like to be in love.' She sounded innocently with a gentle smile towards her father. King Ogilvie the Third narrowed his maroon eyes as his smiled widened tenderly. He walked up towards his daughter and raised a white gloved hand, the ring baring the royal hedgehog crest sitting on his middle finger, and gently stroked the edge of Princess Aleena's pale-skinned muzzle.

'You'll find out one day my child..' King Ogilvie spoke soothingly, letting his hand drop from his daughter's face. '-and whomever holds your heart will be the luckiest Mobian in the whole kingdom.' His eyes shone with the kind of wisdom and knowledge that only came from age and experience. Princess Aleena immediately hugged her father in response to these words, smiling as she leant her blonde-quilled head on his chest and felt him wrap his arms around her in a warm embrace. For a moment the two remained this way before King Ogilvie the Third pulled back, suddenly remembering why he had come to see his daughter in the first place.

'Aleena my dear, I actually came here to inform you that there is a meeting with the Council of Ministers in an hour and your presence is to be expected.' The green-furred hedgehog immediately resumed his poker-straight stance, looking more like his regal-self as he did so.

'In that case father, I shall make sure I am presentable for them.' Princess Aleena sounded politely and the King of Mobius nodded once with a slight smile.

'I will see you in the throne room when you are ready.' He replied before leaving her quarters and allowing his daughter the privacy to preen herself for the meeting. Instantly Princess Aleena headed over to her ornate dresser and sat down on the neat little stool in front of it. She had no intentions of changing her dress, with it's modest cut and long sleeves it was acceptable attire to wear in the presence of the council. Instead the princess opened the top middle drawer of her dresser to reveal her designer range of make-up. Pulling out a few choice pieces that would compliment her outfit and fur-colour Princess Aleena set them carefully on the desk before closing the drawer again. It took her a little while to get her make-up just right but it was worth the effort when she admired herself in the mirror. She was wearing a soft shade of turquoise eye-shadow and thick black kohl eyeliner which complimented her dress and made her emerald green eyes stand out against the soft lilac of her fur and blonde quills. Satisfied that she was now presentable for the Mobian Council the princess packed her make-up away before turning to pick up her bottle of exclusive perfume. After spraying herself in the fresh fragrance she replaced the bottle and turned her attention to a tall but slim glass vase. Sitting in this slender vase was the single cobalt-blue quill that the hedgehog named Jules had given her when they parted company. The lilac-furred princess touched the quill, letting her fingers run over it's smooth cylindrical edge and wondered idly what he was doing now…

* * *

…_Screeeeeeeeeeeeech!_

Jules' brown combat-boots made a high-pitched squeal as he slammed his heels against the dark grey asphalt, skidding to a halt across the parking lot of Mobotroplis University. The moment the cobalt teen finally slid to a stop he glanced behind him at the long skid-marks his boots had left on the ground.

'How's that guys?' Jules declared brightly as he flashed a wide grin towards both Lionel Lion and his brother Charles who were now stood just a foot in front of him.

'Very nice.' The mild-blue hedgehog replied as he stepped beside his brother. 'Now show me your boots.' He added and immediately Jules complied, cocking the cobalt-furred leg nearest his brother at a one-hundred and thirty-five degree angle. The tough beige-rubber sole was now sitting steadily in Charles' eye-line as his little brother balanced perfectly well on one foot with his bare arms crossed over his bright red vest.

'Mmm hmm.' Charles hummed with satisfaction as he measured the wear and tear of rubber with a long spindly metal structure with a small digital monitor which displayed both the corrosion and temperature of the boot. 'Zero-point-zero-two-five millimetres and seventy-five degrees..' The mild-blue hedgehog blinked at this temperature reading, his pale-blue eyes widening with surprise. 'Seventy-five? That can't be right, can it?' He turned his gaze back to his little brother who merely shrugged casually at these words.

'I dunno Charlie, sounds about right to me.' The cobalt teen didn't look too concerned by this which was odd since the idea of that kind of blistering heat on the bottom of his feet should have been a cause for concern.

'But that kind of heat could burn your feet!' The older hedgehog exclaimed as he released his brother's foot allowing Jules to set it back on the ground.

'And now you know why I stopped wearing hi-tops..' The cobalt sixteen year old hedgehog sounded matter-of-factly with a smirk as he closed his eyes briefly. He then crouched down and began unlacing his other boot. 'Besides, I put extra cushioning in the bottom of my boots which keeps most of the heat contained.' Jules added pulling off his boot and setting his white-socked foot on the warm asphalt then straightened with his left-side boot in his hands. The cobalt teen reached inside the brown and beige combat-boot and pulled out two insoles, the bottom one looking slightly more compressed than the top. Unfortunately thanks to the build up of heat inside the boot they did smell strongly of foot odour.

Charles immediately recoiled away holding his black nose.

'Yeh, sorry. It smells kinda fierce, huh?' Jules sounded apologetically before stuffing the insoles back into his boot which had already cooled down considerably.

'I'll say! But if this is the kind of temperature your boots get to I shouldn't be surprised.' Charles replied before taking the boot off of his brother and noting the corrosion of rubber, the temperature had dropped considerably now and was sitting at a warm-but-comfortable thirty-four degrees. Once the test was done he handed it back to Jules and the younger hedgehog slipped the boot back onto his foot, wriggling his socked-toes to make sure the insoles were comfortable before lacing it up. The cobalt hedgehog straightened in time for Lionel returning with the samples of deposited rubber from the parking lot asphalt and some notes he'd taken down on a notepad.

'So what results did you get from his boots Chuck?' The blonde lion asked straightening his spectacles with a smile to his lab-partner.

'A corrosion of zero-point-zero-two-five millimetres on the right foot and a zero-point-zero-two-eight on the left.' Chuck replied casually after bringing up the results on the display monitor.

'Well that checks out with the results I got from the road.' He then turned to Jules smiling. 'From what I collected you start the break off with your heels then control the skid with your toes. Judging by the lining of rubber-deposit I'd say you lean slightly more to the left, does that make sense?' The blonde lion asked his best friend and the cobalt-blue hedgehog only smiled in response.

'Well I was left-handed as a hedgehoglet so that does kinda make sense..' He winked at the lion but this made Lionel blink in amazement,

'You are? But you write with your right hand.' The blonde-furred lion pointed out bluntly.

'I can write with both hands. Our old Knothole Kindergarten teacher Mrs Squirrel used to force me to write with my right, if I used my left hand she'd rap my knuckles with a meter-stick.' Jules sounded grimly as his hazel eyes seemed to drift off, distantly remembering the pain and discomfort he'd gone through at the time just to 'conform' with the rest of the class.

'Oh she was an old battleaxe..' Charles groaned inwardly, recalling their old teacher with a slight frown. Lionel raised his brows at this, if his lab-partner didn't like her she must have been awful. 'But enough about her, did you get the samples we need?' The mild-blue hedgehog quickly changed the subject back to the task at hand and turned to the blonde lion.

'Sure did.' Lionel exclaimed holding up test-tubes of the deformed bits of broken and half-melted rubber-shavings that he'd scraped off the asphalt.

'What do you need that for?' Jules asked curiously.

'So we can determine exactly how much the heat and friction affect the rubber deposited by your boots..' Lionel said matter-of-factly. 'Once we've analysed all the data thoroughly we can come up with a durable rubber-compound that will work better with your speed.' The blonde lion added as he tucked the test-tubes, notepad and other scientific gear away in various pockets of his white lab-coat.

'Far out!' Jules declared brightly flashing his best friend two thumbs up, his chipped tooth appearing in his wide grin.

'Incidentally Chuck, I was thinking that we should try and see about muffling that hideous screeching noise..' The blonde lion added to the older mild-blue hedgehog as they both walked off towards the Mobotroplis University main building.

'I agree Lionel, that can't be doing my brother's hearing any favours..' Charles said in an agreeable tone and this caused the cobalt teenage hedgehog to frown slightly as he was walking between the pair. His eyes narrowed in irritation as his older brother and his best friend carried on oblivious to him, still comparing notes.

'Uh guys.. I'm not deaf and I'm still here!' Jules declared with a hint of annoyance lacing his tone. This was _exactly_ why he hated hanging out with 'narks'..

* * *

As the two students showed Jules around the campus the cobalt hedgehog was suitably impressed by what he saw and was starting to see why Charles was always hanging round Mobotroplis University. Since this was Mobius' capital city institute it was the most state of the art and provided the best education mobiums could buy. Any Mobian who seriously wanted to be the best in their field of studying came here. Though the campus had everything a Mobian could dream of it did not make Jules regret his decision to throw in the towel and not become an Ivy-League hedgehog like his brother. The cobalt hedgehog had always struggled to stay focused in school, he often bunked off with his friends instead of studying and this resulted in his lack of grades. Naturally, Maurice Hedgehog was less than impressed when Jules would bring his report-card home and somehow manage to beat his own lack-of-attendance record every time. At the same time Jules was only just scraping the pass grades needed to advance forward. But the cobalt hedgehog had never really been cut out for school, he wasn't like his older brother..

As Charles and Lionel lead Jules through the Science and Technology department the cobalt hedgehog looked around with mild interest, noting the directions they were going in rather than the sights itself. Memorising his way around in case he ever needed to find his brother on campus. Jules had been surprised but pleased when his brother had asked him to come to Mobotroplis University to conduct some speed tests for both Lionel and himself. The cobalt-blue hedgehog had always been curious about the campus that Charles went to everyday but he never broached the subject hoping that the older hedgehog would come to him. Just when it seemed that Charles would graduate before Jules even got the chance to see his older brother's campus the mild-blue hedgehog asked him. The cobalt sixteen year old had jumped at the chance and the two brothers had laughed about how the idea had never been raised before.

'Ah, so you must be Jules..' Professor Nate Morgan smiled kindly and shook the cobalt-blue hedgehog's white-gloved hand. 'Charles has told me lots about you..'

'Nothin' bad I hope..' Jules replied folding his arms and crossing one foot over the other, lancing his older brother with a fleeting suspicious glare.

'That depends on your definition of 'bad'.' The dark-skinned man with blue eyes smiled and this caused Jules to throw the aging professor a bemused look. 'Can I offer you a coffee?' Professor Morgan asked politely, gesturing to the coffee machine in the corner.

'No thanks, I don't drink coffee.' The cobalt teen replied before slouching in the spare white swivel-seat next to his older brother.

'Caffeine makes him hyperactive.' Charles added lightly as he typed up the results onto his Holographic-Computer-System. As Professor Morgan kinked a brow intrigued, pouring himself a black coffee, Jules' hazel eyes narrowed at his brother's comment.

'Appreciated bro, now he's gonna think I belong in a nut-house.' The cobalt teen sounded sarcastically as he stretched out and casually lent his boots on the edge of his brother's lab-desk. Professor Morgan only chuckled lightly at these words which caused both Hedgehog brothers and Lionel to blink at the man before them.

'Now Jules I would never presume such a thing about someone I'd just met.' Nate Morgan said calmly as he sat in the fourth white swivel-seat near Lionel's workspace. 'But if you wish me to give you a psychological evaluation I'd be happy to comply.' He smiled with a twinkle of mischief in his blue eyes. For a moment the three teenage Mobians gazed in surprise at the old professor, none of them expected him to fire a quip at the cobalt hedgehog.

'_Uhh_… I think I'd prefer to keep my mental issues just between me and myself, if you don't mind Prof..' Jules smirked widely, the chip in his tooth making an appearance again.

'Suit yourself..' Nate Morgan sounded with a light smile back before drinking his coffee then turned to Lionel Lion, who was performing tests with the misshapen rubber-shavings they'd taken from the asphalt outside using a chemistry set and a digital analyser. While Professor Nate Morgan had his back turned, assisting the blonde lion with his task while quizzing him on his 'other project', Jules immediately sat up and wheeled his chair closer to his older brother. Charles' attention was fully focused on his Holographic-Computer-System and he gave a slight start when his little brother placed a gloved hand on his shoulder.

'This guy's sharp, eh Charlie?' The cobalt hedgehog leaned on the backrest of his brother's swivel-seat causing it to become ridged, rooted to the spot by Jules' weight.

'Well he was the Minister of Science for well over thirty years Jules, what did you expect?' His mild-blue older brother sounded in an offhanded tone, his pale-blue eyes only glancing briefly away from his computer screen. Jules' hazel eyes rolled up in slight confusion as the sixteen year old cobalt-blue hedgehog considered this, one gloved finger scratched his the space just above his right-side pointed ear.

'I dunno. But he's pretty cool, for a nark..' The younger hedgehog brother eventually replied with a wry smile and Charles merely lifted his eyes momentary up in an 'unbelievable' manner before his pupils refocused on the screen.

* * *

'So are you coming back here or heading home after your try-outs?' Charles asked his little brother as he climbed off of his motorbike and pulled his backpack out of the sidecar where it had been sitting. It was the morning of Charles' IQ test and Jules' physical trial with the Royal Guard and although it had been a slow start for both Hedgehog brothers they were now stood together outside Mobotroplis University.

'Oh I am definitely coming back here afterwards.' Jules responded instantly with a gleeful look which clearly showed he couldn't wait for Charles to come home to find out about his IQ test. 'And when I get out I'll buy us some chilidogs on the way.' The cobalt hedgehog threw his brother a cocky grin.

'Well ok then, I'll just wait to have lunch with you then..' Charles said with a smile, he had packed himself a lunch but what his little brother was offering did sound more appealing than what he had brought with him.

'Awesome.' The cobalt teenage hedgehog grinned widely back at his brother. 'Now I better boost before I'm late for my physical trial.' He lifted his cobalt-furred leg, intending to take off down the road when his older brother gripped his shoulder stopping him from moving.

'Hold on Jules, your not even going to wish me luck with my IQ test?' Charles asked while looking slightly nervous, as if needing to hear something positive from his little brother.

'You don't need it bro, your gonna blow this nark away with your vast knowledge.' The cobalt hedgehog replied his grin widening into a highly cocky smirk.

'You really think so?' The mild-blue hedgehog asked his little brother doubtfully, wishing he could have his entusiasm and confidence.

'Charlie..' Jules immediately recognised his brother's need for reassurance, his smile softening as his hazel eyes looked solemn. 'I'm your little brother, I've been running around in your shadow for years. Who knows you better than I?' As soon as he had said his piece the cobalt teen's cocky bravado returned along with his cheeky grin. 'Now go knock the socks off the Minister of Science bro!' Jules winked, flashing his brother a thumbs up making his older brother smile.

'I'll do my best little brother..' Charles grinned back, his cobalt little brother's optimism was infectious and just the encouragement he needed.

'Alright!' Jules grinned before checking the pocket-watch he'd inherited from his father by pulling it out of his red vest pocket, his eyes widening at the time it read. 'Oh shoot! Gotta jam Charlie, catcha later!' He then stuffed the golden timepiece away before turning away from his brother.

'Good luck..' Charles called out as Jules took off down the road.

'Thanks but I won't need it!' The cobalt teen hollered back hitting a comfortable running speed of eighty kilometres an hour, passing the Minister of Science who had just gotten out of his vehicle. The brown and white tawny owl gasped as many of his papers fluttered in the upwind from the speedy cobalt hedgehog but fortunately none of them left his hand.

'_Wow! _What was that?' The Minister of Science blinked his huge yellow eyes in shock, turning around too late to actually see what had blown passed him.

'Professor Owl, so good to see you.' Charles said as he jogged up to where the Minister of Science was stood looking confused in the direction Jules had run off in. 'I do hope my brother didn't startle you too much.'

'That was your brother?' The Minister of Science asked, his black pupils widening in disbelief. 'Incredible. I wish I could move that fast.' The tawny owl declared brightly.

'You and me both sir..' Charles smiled widely. 'Shall we head inside?'

'Of course..' The Minister of Science snapped his head around to the mild-blue hedgehog and the pair headed towards Mobotroplis University together..

* * *

Jules skidded into the courtyard of the royal palace two seconds before the second-hand of his golden pocket-watch switched to ten o'clock. He wasn't exactly sure where the try-outs were being held but he figured that a whole bunch of Mobians and some kind of assault course couldn't be that hard to find. Fortunately he was spared looking as the sound of movement came from behind him causing Jules to turn his head and cobalt-blue quills to face whatever was coming. His hazel eyes immediately caught sight of the same golden-furred Mobian fox with sky blue eyes and light-brown curls who had conducted his first interview nearly three weeks ago.

'Ah, Hedgehog..' Amadeus Prower sounded with a smile towards the cobalt-blue teen before him. 'Cutting it a little fine, don't you think?' The twenty-something year old fox sounded as he checked his own digital-watch that had been concealed under the sleave of his navy and red Royal Guard uniform.

'Only by a few seconds sir..' Jules grinned widely as he stuck his hands in his vest front pockets.

'In any case your just in time, follow me..' Amadeus replied beckoning the younger Mobian to follow him and Jules immediately followed his heel as the golden-furred fox lead him out of the courtyard of Hedgington Hall palace and around the rear to where the Royal Guard soldiers had set up their assault course for the potential new cadets. For a little while they walked in silence before Amadeus Prower broke it.

'Since you're the last one here, let me bring you up to speed..' The golden-furred fox spoke quickly and Jules' hazel eyes instantly locked onto his face, listening intently. 'General D'Coolette is overseeing the trails himself. He is one of our highest ranking officers and is the one you will need to impress to be accepted into the Royal Guard.'

'No problemo..' Jules replied airily, his eyes closing momentarily as he sliced his gloved hand through the air in front of him. Amadeus Prower kinked a brow, slightly perturbed by this hedgehog's unfazed attitude but continued briefing him on what would be happening.

'You will be tested on strength, speed and agility using a standard issue Mobian Army assault course which we have rigged up just in this next clearing.'

'Can I ask you something?' Jules asked seriously almost immediately after the golden-furred fox finished speaking and Amadeus raised both his brows.

'Go ahead Hedgehog.' A small smile curved it's way across his white muzzle as he spoke.

'What rank do you hold?' The cobalt hedgehog casually flicked his blue quilled-quiff out of his face as a sudden breeze had caused it to shift into his eyes.

'Captain. I will be charged with all the new recruits from this trail so it's imperative I be here to see who I will be getting.' Amadeus Prower replied amiably.

'No way! You're a captain..' Jules instantly stopped in his tracks staring at the golden-furred fox in disbelief. 'But you must only be about twenty-two!' The cobalt-blue hedgehog exclaimed in shock before his feet began moving to catch up with Captain Prower, who had not stopped walking.

'Twenty-four actually.' There was a hint of pride in Amadeus' voice as he said this.

'Still, a captain at twenty-four is pretty impressive.' Jules added with a smirk towards the older Mobian and the golden-furred fox returned it. The two of them turned into the open clearing where the tough assault course was laid out, spanning almost the whole of the open space. At the start of the course were a line of assorted Mobians who were all performing warm-up stretches, limbering up for the course. Standing with a clipboard, a stopwatch and a slightly irritable scowl on his face was a pale-tan-furred Mobian-coyote with light blonde muzzle and a crop of blonde fur cut and styled into two smart parted curls. His sharp deep-blue eyes instantly clocked the sixteen year old hedgehog walking with Captain Prower, his thin but neat moustache twitched with exasperation at the sight of this late-comer.

'Capteen Prower, who is zees lolling-gagger you 'ave brought in my presence?' General D'Coolette spoke in a thick foreign accent that Jules had to really listen to just to try and understand, which was hard enough without the language barrier. It was clear to Jules that this guy originally hailed from somewhere in the Gaul Providence, judging by his care and attention to his appearance most likely Anais.

'Hedgehog sir, Jules Hedgehog.' Amadeus supplied his cobalt candidate's name to his higher-ranking officer and immediately General D'Coolette's deep blue eyes trailed down the list of applicants on his clipboard before eventually finding the teenage hedgehog's name. He tapped it with a slight twitch in his otherwise expressionless mouth before his eyes swivelled to survey the cobalt-blue hedgehog before him.

'Tu is cutting with the fine, no?' The Royal Guard General narrowed his eyes tediously at the teenager in front of him, disliking him already for his tardiness as he liked his cadets to be prompt.

'What?' Jules blurted out in confusion and blinked his hazel eyes, blatantly not following what this high-ranking officer had just asked him. Captain Amadeus Prower, who was still standing with the young hedgehog, merely shook his head ruefully not daring to intervene and become next in General D'Coolette's firing line. He knew from experience how hot-blooded the foreign coyote could be.

'Jus' get in ze line wit ze ozzers 'Edgehog!' General D'Coolette glared at the impertinent hedgehog before him, his white-gloved finger jabbing in the direction of the others who had only just started limbering up before he arrived.

'Ok, ok. No need to bust a tick bud.' Jules replied in a compliant tone, raising his hands at this furious looking coyote. He immediately turned away from the Royal Guard General and walked over to the others.

'Tout de suite 'Edgehog, dépêchez toi!' The irked sounding voice of the French-speaking general hit his pointed-ears making them twitch.

'Huh?' Jules made a noise of confusion pausing in his tracks.

'He wants you to pick up the pace.' A voice sounded from the line and the cobalt hedgehog's attention was drawn to a friendly-looking blonde wolf-Mobian with a crop of red fur and mossy green eyes. Immediately Jules jogged over to him and stood in line beside him.

'Well why didn't he just say that then?' Jules responded as he joined in with the lunging and stretching warm-up combination the potential-cadets were doing.

'He did, he said it in French..' The blonde wolf replied back.

'Well I don't speak French..' Jules said back as the line continued with their stretching before alternating back into lunges.

'I figured as much..' The wolf sounded before adding with a smile. '-the name's Argus Fletcher.'

'Nice to meet'cha Argus, I'm Jules Hedgehog.' The cobalt hedgehog flashed him a wide grin, he would have shook his hand if they weren't in the middle of their warm up exercises… and they weren't being supervised by both Captain Prower and General D'Coolette.

* * *

'What do you make of zees 'Edgehog, Prower?' General D'Coolette threw these words towards his lower-ranking officer and Amadeus Prower was grateful that the two of them were stood out of ear-shot of the potential new cadets. The golden-furred fox' sky blue eyes turned to glance at the cobalt-blue teen who was now doing his warm-up exercises with the rest of them.

'Sir?' Amadeus' eyes returned to his senior officer with a slightly bewildered look, not understanding why General D'Coolette was asking such a thing.

'You know what I see? I see a fuel..' His deep-blue eyes narrowed towards the cobalt-blue hedgehog before him.

'A fuel sir?' Captain Amadeus Prower blinked in further confusion, sometimes even he had understanding his commanding officer's thick accent.

'You know, an eediot.' The French-speaking officer qualified what he meant and immediately Amadeus Prower made a sound of understanding.

'Oh a _fool_..' He said before throwing his comanding officer an unsure look. 'With all due respect sir, aren't you being a little harsh? I mean, ok I admit he's a little rough around the edges but when I interviewed him with the others I got the distinct impression that Hedgehog has something to prove.' At Amadeus' words General D'Coolette, who had been observing the cadets, glanced around to his lower officer.

'You are quite, how you say, awaring on what you say Capteen Prower.' The light-tanned coyote sounded, kinking a brow to the golden-furred fox. 'Eef zees 'Edgehog does well enough to join, 'e will becoming your charge. You are quite prepare-ed to take on zees loose canon?' Amadeus Prower's eyes studied the cobalt-blue hedgehog as he was now doing his warm-up exercises with the others, not looking one bit out of place. He could definitely see potential in this outspoken young Mobian and with training he could become a great cadet.

'Yes sir, I am!' The golden-furred fox' voice immediately sounded with clear cut conviction, Amadeus' fists were balled and his sky blue eyes had a steely glaze to them. He stood behind his own words one-hundred percent.

'Très bon..' General D'Coolette said a wry smile twisting across his mouth, unlike his lower officer he very much doubted the hedgehog's chances. '-zen let us see just 'ow well zees 'Edgehog does, hmm?' The two commanding officers then immediately began walking forwards to the line of potential new cadets.

'At ease gentlemobians..' The golden-furred fox stated and immediately everyone stopped, standing to attention in a neat line. 'Before we begin our general would like to say a few words.' Captain Prower immediately stood to the side and allowed his higher-ranking officer to speak to the potential new cadets.

'Merci Capteen Prower..' General D'Coolette sounded as his lower-officer stood back in position with his arms behind his back. 'As you all know, we are only taking ze crème de la crème of you on board and zere is only un way of deciding zees..' The light-tanned coyote broke off for dramatic effect then smiled. 'Ze first tree of you to cross ze finishing line will be joining ze Royal Guard.' Immediately He backed in line with Captain Prower near the starting line and smiled to the golden-fox now stood beside him.

'Eef you aren't minding doing ze honours Capteen Prower..' General D'Coolette signalled for his lower-ranking officer to start the race across the assault course as he held his stopwatch in his hand.

'Alright cadets..' Amadeus Prower sounded in an strong athoritive voice, which was a lot more firm than the tone of voice he'd been speaking to Jules with earlier. 'On your marks..' Immediately every one of the Mobians along the line moved to a starting position. While Argus' green eyes focused solely on the track in front of him, like every one on the other side of him, Jules merely paused from his starting position to pull his golden pocket-watch out of his red vest. Whenever he had been training he had used the watch he'd inherited from his father to time himself just to see if he could better himself later. This time however, since the course rigged up was very similar to the one that the Stripes Family had in their backyard he wanted to see if he could beat his time.

'Get set..' Amadeus' voice hollered and the potential cadets readied themselves to run down the course. Except Jules, who was frowning at his pocket watch, the second-hand was ticking dangerously close to the number twelve at the top.

'_Go!_' As Amadeus bellowed this last word every cadet rushed forwards to the first obstacle… or at least all except Jules who swore loudly.

'_Oh for the love of Mobius!_' The cobalt hedgehog's hazel eyes blazed with annoyance as his second hand had passed the number twelve before Captain Prower had started of the race. Jules straightened once more without taking his eyes away from his pocket-watch. Now he was just going to have to wait for that pesky little hand to get back there again..

'_Hedgehog!_' Amadeus roared out in a mixture of shock and annoyance. '_Go!_' The golden-furred fox was jabbing desperately towards the finish.

'Yeh, yeh..' Jules uttered with a flippant wave of his hand. '-in a minute..' Amadeus Prower blinked in amazement at the hedgehog's attitude, he couldn't believe that he was just going to throw the race away. Even after the golden-furred fox had actually stood up for him when the general called him a fool.

'Don't been an idiot Hedgehog! Go!' Amadeus called out again, hoping to push him into racing. The others were already one third of the way down the course now with a couple of faster ones just in front.

'You see..' General D'Coolette sounded in a smug manner. 'Even 'e knows he cannot do eet. I told you 'e is a fuel, a spine-headed coward..' The tanned coyote folded his arms with a wide pompous smirk. Jules glanced up from his pocket-watch which was just about to pass the number six.

'_Oh_..' The cobalt-blue hedgehog's hazel eyes narrowed towards the coyote. '-you just keep talkin' Frenchie cause in thirty seconds I am gonna make you eat those words..' His eyes immediately swivelled back as his pocket-watch reached number seven. Amadeus Prower blinked in amazement, how could this hedgehog still think he had a chance when everybody was approaching the halfway mark of the course in front of him? General D'Coolette on the other hand smirked wider at the cobalt-blue hedgehog's nerve.

'Zees is a joke, right? Eet has to be, you are thinking you can still win zees? You 'aven't a hoping Chaos 'Edgehog..' The light-tanned coyote actually laughed in amusement now. The idea of this Mobian actually catching up to his opponents when they were so far ahead of him now was so ridiculous it was hysterical.

'Forfeit Hedgehog! You can still duck out with honour..' Amadeus sounded sternly, scowling angrily. He was annoyed with the hedgehog for not even trying but he was more angry with himself for daring to defend him when he was being this blasé.

'No, auchun moyen.. I am wanting very much to see 'ow 'e is planning to pull zees out.' General D'Coolette sounded, barely stifling his snorts of laughter as he said this. The second hand was ticking closer and closer towards the top of the clock while the other cadets were just crossing the multi-rope swing across mud before the high-net which led up to the mad sprint at the end. Argus Fletcher was leading the potential cadets, as the second hand ticked towards the number twelve he stretched his hand out to grip the net… Jules was now mentally counting down the ticks left.

…_Four__…__ Three__…__ Two__…_

'Watch this!' Jules declared boldly as he flashed a devious smirk at the Royal Guard General who doubted his abilities. The second the littlest hand hit twelve the cobalt-blue hedgehog took off at a terrific speed, hurtling down the course to the first obstacle, the low horizontal net.

'_Sacredieu!_' The smile instantly vanished off of General D'Coolette's face as the sixteen year old blue hedgehog moved in a blur across the course, making easy work of the low-horizontal net.

'Oh sweet Sauna, look at him go!' Amadeus actually gawped in a stunned silence as he'd never seen a Mobian move so fast in his life. In mere seconds Jules Hedgehog had popped out from underneath the net and was hurtling down towards the tyres, hopping speedily from one tyre to the next without even causing them to move as he lifted his brown combat boots.

As the cobalt-blue hedgehog quickly closed the gap on his rivals Amadeus Prower couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face, the spiny blue idiot was actually going to do it! He could feel the excitement of what he was witnessing building up in his stomach, spreading to his heart. The muscle instantly swelled with pleasure, his judgement had not been wrong.. this hedgehog would make an excellent cadet and he'd be proud to train him. The sixteen year old hedgehog swiftly tottered over the tight-rope to the multi-rope swings, the only thing now separating him from his other rivals who were scrambling with the net on the other side. At this point Amadeus turned his sky blue eyes to his commanding officer only to note gleefully that General D'Coolette was staring looking both flabbergasted and deflated. The coyote's deep blue eyes were running with the hedgehog as he was now swinging his way towards the net, his rivals were only now approaching the top.

The golden-furred fox with light-brown curls of fur atop of his head actually couldn't believe what he was feeling.. He hadn't been this exhilarated since his teenage years. Amadeus thought the stint he had done within the Mobian Army had smacked it out of him. He'd only joined in the first place to please his father as his first two brothers had proudly joined the family tradition, he too thought he had to try and embrace them despite his disapproval of guns. However when the time came for his brother Merlin to join the youngest Prower refused. Openly defying their father with courage and conviction that Amadeus admired. His youngest brother then left home to go and seek his future by way of studying the ancient ways of Mobian-magic. Although their father had been shocked he took the news better than Amadeus thought he would. Finding himself suddenly inspired by his youngest brother's daring the golden-furred fox transferred from the Mobian Army to the Royal Guard, not wanting to completely waste his few years of army training. And amazingly his father had been completely fine with it.. Amadeus' grin widened as the cobalt-blue hedgehog was now approaching the high-net, just as his comrades were crossing the wide beam at the top, Argus Fletcher was already scaling the other side. Though he tried his best to remain professional the golden-furred fox wanted to see the plucky sixteen year old wipe the smile clean off of his commanding officer's face.

With only a very breif pause to see where everybody was on the high-net Jules Hedgehog shot up the web of rope, choosing a path where he wasn't going to accidentally bump into another Mobian. He quickly overtook everybody, sliding down the opposite side of the net landing with both boots on the bald grassland. Immediately Jules' fast feet drummed the ground, blurring his brown combat boots as he gave one final burst of speed, sprinting to the finishing line as he whipped out his pocket-watch. His hazel eyes locking onto his finishing time.

The second the blue-blurred hedgehog crossed the finish line and skidded to a stop Amadeus Prower lost a bit of his professional decorum, unable to completely contain his excitement anymore.

'_Yes_…' The golden-furred fox hissed as his white-gloved fist pumped the air, his grin still wide across his face as he momentarily shut his eyes.

'Tu say somesing Capteen Prower?' General D'Coolette's voice sounded in a slightly miffed tone drawing his young captain's attention. Though the light-tanned coyote's face was set, his eyes narrowed at the cobalt-hedgehog as he skidded to a halt and proceeded to whoop, in what the general thought, was an inappropriate manner.

'_Oh yeh!_' Jules called out the second he stopped skidding, bouncing around to face the course once more just in time for Argus to begin leading the sprint towards him. 'Fifty-eight seconds! A personal best!' He then proceeded to bounce from one brown-booted foot to the other in a happy sort-of-jig.

'What was his time, sir?' Amadeus Prower sounded, resuming his professional air.

'Un meenute, fiftee-four seconds.' General D'Coolette responded to his lower-ranking officer, still sounding slightly bitter about the hedgehog beating him. 'It would seem zat I am, how you say, 'aving a slice of ze 'umble cake.'

'You mean your admitting defeat?' Captain Amadeus Prower raised his brows to his comanding officer in disbelief, in all the time he had known General Armand D'Coolette he had never admitted to being bested, especially by a newbie. This was new..

'Oui, but 'Edgehog will not be besting me again, I am assuring you of zat!' The coyote's blue eyes narrowed at the hedgehog who was still fooling around as Argus Fletcher approached the finish line. The Royal Guard General then wiped the angry look from his face and resumed a well-practised professional façade as he noted the time.

'Two meenutes, thirtee-tree seconds..' A smile appeared on his face of the light-tanned coyote. 'Bon oui Mousier Fletcher..' This was a cadet he liked…

'Alright Argus..' The cobalt-blue hedgehog grinned at the blonde-furred wolf who was stood panting, a little out of breath. '-two-minutes and thirty seconds. Not bad for a slow guy..' He stuck out both thumbs with a wink. Argus flashed a momentary smile before straightening and throwing the teenage hedgehog a curious look.

'Thanks, but how did you get so fast?' The wolf asked, he'd never met anybody who could move as quick as Jules before.

'Eh, was just born with it..' The cobalt-blue hedgehog shrugged as he ran a white-gloved hand casually through his quiff of blue quills.

Both Captain Prower and General D'Collette remained into position until the very last runner was across the finish line, only then did the two Royal Guard officers head over to the group of Mobians at the end of the course. When they got close the Royal Guard General politely dismissed those who had not made the cut before turning his attention to the slightly shorter cobalt-blue hedgehog in front of him.

'Eef I was you 'Edgehog. I'd be watching my feet as I will be seeing you very close-like..' The light-tanned coyote threw him a scrutinizing glare before turning to away and suddenly looking more cheerful, shaking Argus Fletcher's hand and congratulating him on his run.

'Watch his feet?' Jules sounded with vague bemusement, not completely following what the general meant.

'I think what General D'Coolette meant was: Welcome aboard, Hedgehog.' The sound of Amadeus' voice caused the sixteen year old hedgehog to turn to see the golden-furred fox standing behind him with his gloved hand outstretched.

'Thank you, sir.' Jules replied raising his hand to shake his new comanding officer in gratitude, however before he could remove his hand again Amadeus Prower gripped him more tightly and pulled the hedgehog towards him. The cobalt sixteen year old gasped in surprise as the golden-fox' sky-blue eyes blazed with sincerity.

'Do not make an example of me like that again Hedgehog, are we clear?' The Captain of the Palace's Guard sounded sternly. Though he was pleased that the hedgehog had been accepted into the Royal Guard he would not let him make a fool of him twice.

'Hedgehog's honour sir, it will not happen again..' Jules replied honestly, raising his other hand in a kind of silent oath. Immediately he was released from the golden-furred fox' vice-like grip and the cobalt teenager flexed his slightly aching hand.

'It better not..' Amadeus sounded grimly before suddenly brightening. 'Now, let's get you measured up for your uniform.'

* * *

It was almost half past twelve by the time Jules Hedgehog raced into the Mobotroplis University campus with his takeaway bag. He hurtled through the various corridors towards the Science and Technology department where he'd find his older brother. His speed was partly because he was elated over his success, he was starving and because he couldn't wait to hear how his brother had faired on his IQ test… not that he was worried in the slightest as Charles was the smartest Mobian he knew. As Jules rounded the last corner he skidded to a halt before banging open the door to his brother's science laboratory.

'_Julius!_' The mild-blue hedgehog jumped in his seat, his pale-blue eyes wide with shock as he whipped around to the door. Immediately the older Hedgehog brother sank back in his chair, clutching his chest with relief. 'You nearly gave me a heart-attack..' He said with a short sigh.

'Heh, sorry bro, didn't mean to scare you.' Jules sounded apologetically, completely ruining it with the smirk of amusement which was crossing his face. The sixteen year old cobalt hedgehog immediately took the spare seat opposite his brother.

'So how did you do in the try-outs?' Charles asked his brother lightly and his little brother smirked widely, flashing the chip in his tooth.

'I nailed it. Start next week when my new uniform arrives..' The cobalt hedgehog sounded pleased with himself, deliberately deciding to miss out the part where he'd irritated his commander and chief already. He didn't need his brother to lecture him on respecting the chain of command.

'That's great news Jules..' The older Hedgehog brother smiled widely. 'I'm really pleased.'

'Where's Lionel?' Jules asked curiously as he dumped the brown paper bag onto the work-desk, noting that the blonde lion was nowhere to be seen.

'I think he's in the library trying to work up the courage to speak to that Emma-girl that's taken his fancy..' Charles replied casually as he fished out a chilidog from the bag and Jules' eyes narrowed in slight amusement.

'Oh really..' The cobalt teenager drawled with a suggestive grin. '-he should've said, I'd have given him some tips..' Jules replied lightly, he'd never had any problems talking to girls before. Charles' pale-blue eyes narrowed as his little brother helped himself to a chilidog and took a large bite.

'You could give him something that's not going to earn him a slap around the jaw?' Charles replied with a smirk of amusement privately thinking that the last thing Lionel needed was tips on how to be cocky with the ladies. Jules hazel eyes narrowed at his brother's wit.

'I got more experience than you Charlie..' The cobalt sixteen year old hit back and his mild-blue brother continued to smile.

'Cheep shot..' Charles replied with a tisk before taking another bite and chewing his chilidog more slowly.

'Eh, I can't outsmart you so what else can I throw at you?' Jules shrugged casually, not affected by his words.

'That's true..' Charles laughed lightly.

'So, how'd you do on your IQ test?' The younger Hedgehog brother asked, barely able to retain his excitement. 'Did the Minister of Science tell you if you got this grant yet or not?'

'He did..' Charles replied gently. '-he and Professor Morgan graded it together after I completed it.' The mild-blue hedgehog casually finished his chilidog, helping himself to a second as Jules chewed on his.

'_So_…' Jules prompted before swallowing his mouthful. 'Don't keep me in suspense bro, how'd you do?' The cobalt teen finished his first and took the last chilidog out of the bag, crumpling up the waste paper and dumping it in the bin nearby.

'Well my IQ is sitting at two-hundred and ninety-six, which is an improvement since my freshman year..' The mild-blue hedgehog twiddled his moustache proudly before realising by his brother's bewildered expression that this meant nothing to him. Charles' bushy mild-blue brows raised before he illuminated what this meant. 'I qualified for the grant.'

'_Aww_ Charlie, that's awesome!' Jules sounded genuinely pleased, a huge smile curving his mouth. 'And hey, you know what this means, right?'

'What's that?' Charles blinked confused as his little brother polished off his chilidog.

'After next month, I don't have to support your sorry quills anymore..' The cobalt hedgehog put his feet up on the desk in front and lent back in his seat with a wide smirk.

* * *

_Little Notes:_

_Hey peeps, this chapter has to be my favourite so far! It was fun to write and probably the first really light-hearted chapter I've written for this story. I must admit I'm not entirely sure yet where I stand on Sonic's siblings Manic and Sonia but I wanted to create an opening for myself in case I do use them, hence why the parents of both Jules and Aleena hint towards them. An introduction to King Ogilvie the Third here, who is obviously based very loosely on Manic look-wise as I wanted to give a reference to where his fur-colour may come from. Same reason Queen Bernadette, again Archie Sonic's mom's name coming into play, has Sonia's colouring while her name is used on Jules' mother._

_Ok, I admit it… I love the idea of General D'Coolette being a stricter version of Antoine. In the SATAM series and Archie comics Antoine makes numerous references to the fact that he wanted to be just like his dad, so it made sense that they'd be similar in personality too. Also I wanted this to be a character that Jules could really bounce with, after all he'd be waay too perfect if he got on with everybody, right?_

_And also another Sonic Underground character Argus sneaking his way into the story, those who ever saw the episode: 'To Catch A Queen' will understand why he's featured here.._

_Anyway, stay tuned for more soon…_

_~Ditzy x_


	7. The Hedgehog Cadet In Training

**A Tale of Two Brothers**

_Hey Peeps, I don't own anything related to Sonic or his universe, that's SEGA and all other companies relevant to the creation of his various back-stories, and even though most of them have tanked it now that is besides the point… Honestly, I actually own very little in this fic (next to nothing to be exact) but this is __my__ story and even though I am using characters from Archie, DiC and SEGA I will be fleshing many of them out because they were only 2-dimensional so in some ways they will appear very OC… hopefully you'll bear with me! Anyway, I've bored you to tears with this disclaimer so enjoy… and let me know what you think! X_

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**Review Replies:**

**Slayer 666: Like I said, I'm not sure where I stand on Sonic's siblings but I like keeping my options open. And I agree with you on the Sonic front, he is quite close to being a clone of his father, but when you think about it that must've been a real comfort to Chuck when he lost his brother (in Archie). And although sometimes the overprotective dad persona is fun to write but it doesn't fully apply to King Ogilvie the Third. There are times, of course, when he is protective about his daughter (after all she's all he has left) but generally I think he's a decent kind of Mobian… I don't like referring to Sonic characters with the terms 'people' or 'person' as it is technically incorrect since they are terms referring to humans which Mobians clearly aren't, this is why you find the terms 'gentlemobian' or 'barmobian' in here.. As for how he reacts to finding out about Jules you'll just have to wait and see. The next chapter it'll start to show the beginning of the complicated issues that will cloud their relationship which may help you out or mislead you completely.. X**

**Chapter Seven:****The Hedgehog Cadet In Training..**

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It had been three weeks since Jules Hedgehog had begun his new career as a palace guard and even though the work day was long and training hours were gruelling… well, gruelling to a hedgehog who was certainly not a morning Mobian… the cobalt-blue teenager found himself enjoying the challenges every day brought. His training had been sectioned off into three aspects of guard duties and the three new cadets had been split up so they would learn the job quickly. These three sections of training were Combat Training, Ground Patrol and Palace Patrol. Ground Patrol, which Jules had already completed with only a few minors, involved perimeter checks, sentry duties, formal drills, lockdown procedures and other outdoor security exercises vital to keeping the palace grounds safe from intruders. Once the cobalt hedgehog had completed his combat training, which would arm him with the knowledge of both armed and unarmed combat, he would move onto Palace Patrol. This last one was different from patrolling the grounds outside, it required more finesse as the guards would be interacting with both King Ogilvie the Third and Princess Aleena. They would need to mind their manners, speaking only when they were spoken to and not out of turn. They would be dealing with bodyguard exercises which included: rescue and evacuation procedures, dealing with emergency situations in a calm and collected manner, royal security procedures, deciphering facial and body language exercises and completion of a dangerous driving course. It would take the new cadets roughly a full two months to pass every checkpoint in their long list of requirements and out of all the sections of his training it was this last one Jules dreaded most. Not because he thought he couldn't do it but because he would be right under General D'Coolette's nose and the foreign coyote would no doubt scrutinize his every move. The cobalt teen knew that after his reckless behaviour during his physical trials the foreign coyote would make this last stretch of his training incredibly difficult…

'Tell me Hedgehog..' Amadeus Prower asked casually as he unsheathed his sword, it's slightly curved blade glinting as it caught the light steaming through the huge windows of the royal ballroom. '-which hand do you write with?' The golden-furred fox casually twirled the handle of his weapon causing the sharp metal blade to rotate around his white-gloved hand.

'I can write with both, sir.' Jules responded respectfully to his captain's question. The Captain of the Palace Guard turned his sky blue eyes towards the second sword sitting unsheathed in its bright red belt and scabbard. He then picked it up with his free hand before his eyes swivelled to the cobalt hedgehog opposite him, who stood dressed neatly in his cadet uniform. The Royal Guard uniform consisted of deep navy-blue trousers with a red stripe running down the leg and matching navy smart shirt-jacket decorated with red around the sleeves and golden buttons on the front. A matching red cravat was neatly tied around the neck of his shirt making the navy blue collar stand out. On Jules' feet were his standard-issue, size eleven, red combat boots and even though they were highly polished it was clear that the sole was wearing away already. Amadeus smiled slightly as despite the tiny flaw of a quiff of unruly cobalt-blue quills his cadet was neatly presented, the only thing missing was his standard-issue sword which the higher-ranking officer was holding in his hand at the moment.

'Your ambidextrous. That may give you a sharp advantage when engaging enemies.' The golden-furred fox sounded professionally before tossing the belt and sword towards Jules, forcing the cobalt hedgehog to quickly reach out and catch his unsheathed sword with both hands. 'Can you write with both hands at the same time?' Amadeus' brow kinked curiously towards the hedgehog as Jules clipped on his belt, his sword now sitting on his left-hand side matching his commanding officer.

'Dunno. Never tried.' Jules responded after a moment of musing this over, wondering vaguely why he'd never thought to try this out before.

'Pity. It would have been a good indicator as to how well you would do duelling with two swords.' A slight flash of disappointment appeared in the captain's sky blue eyes before it vanished as he resumed a professional air. 'But we're getting ahead of ourselves, today we are merely going to focus on the basics of sword duelling and see how you get on.' As the cobalt hedgehog made a quick mental note to practise writing cack-handed later the golden-furred fox then pointed his sword directly towards Jules and used it as a gesture towards his still-sheathed sword.

'Alright, unsheathe you sword Hedgehog..' Amadeus sounded in an athoritive manner and Jules Hedgehog obeyed without question, pulling his gold-handled sword out and feel the weight of it in his hand. The cobalt hedgehog had not handled a sword since he was a hedgehoglet, back when he and his older brother used to play pirates using polibindum weapons. This sword was heavier by far than those plastic-like swords he had played with in his youth. It would require a bit more muscle and power to control and most likely cause much more damage.

'-this will be your greatest tool, I want you to guard it as you would your own life.' Amadeus was saying as Jules studied his sword carefully. 'Do _not_ let it out of your sight! It must stay with you always.' This last statement made the hedgehog's warm hazel eyes swivel around to the Captain of the Palace Guard, a mix of confusion and curiosity shining in them.

'What? Even when I'm not on duty?' The words had left Jules' mouth before he'd even thought about it and at his words Amadeus Prower smirked.

'What you do when your off duty is no concern of mine Hedgehog, professionally I must answer 'yes' but personally, you can do as you wish..' The golden-furred fox replied lightly. He knew General D'Coolette had always insisted that his cadets carried their weapons with them twenty-four/seven as they could be called upon to the palace at any time, however Amadeus was not quite as paranoid as his commanding officer and he did not always carry his sword with him.

'Fair enough..' Jules responded, satisfied with this answer yet surprised he had gotten one in the first place. He imagined that a stricter officer would have scolded him for his forwardness yet Captain Prower seemed more than understanding of it, he even seemed to relish it.

'Alright, enough chat Hedgehog, let's see how you handle a blade..' Amadeus sounded firmly, his sky blue eyes narrowing as he raised his sword. 'On guard!' He cried out before flying forward towards the momentarily surprised hedgehog, Captain Prower's sword flying up towards his left shoulder and moving in a slicing action as Jules lifted his..

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…_Clang__…_

The sound of metal clashing metal echoed around the huge ballroom as Jules successfully blocked yet another slicing attack from Captain Amadeus Prower.

'Good!' The golden-furred fox called out, pleased with the progress that they had made since starting out nearly a week ago. 'But watch your footing..' He added before swiftly lowering his sword-angle and delivering a low sweeping lance which caught Jules by surprise and caused him to fall backwards with a sharp grunt. '-or that will happen.' The golden-furred fox grinned widely as he pushed a loose brown curl back into place. The Captain of the Palace Guard took a few deep breaths as training this hedgehog was just as big a workout as he'd predicted it would be. He'd always preferred to teach his swordsmobians on a one-on-one basis, finding it easier to gauge skill and offer advice accordingly. Amadeus had his sword pointed squarely to Jules' chest and the cobalt hedgehog's right hand felt the floor around him for his sword which had slipped out of his hand on impact with the ground.

'You have your sword Hedgehog, care to try again?' The golden-furred fox grinned slyly at his fallen cadet who had a grip on his weapon, his own sword not even flinching from it's position meaning Jules would be starting where he was laid.

'Like you even have to ask..' The cobalt hedgehog grinned as his hand swiftly sliced his sword forcing the twenty-four year old fox backwards and the hedgehog rolled onto his feet, Jules' sword flew out of his right hand and was caught by his left as his feet touched the ground. Amadeus raised his brown-furred brows impressed by this manoeuvre, it was not one he had taught the hedgehog, but Amadeus grinned back pleased his cadet could hold his own after only a week of training. He'd been happy to discover the hedgehog was a fast learner, quick to pick up on tips and techniques which may one day save his life. It made the whole training experience more enjoyable and if he could put this much into his final weeks perhaps it would make up for his impulsive actions that irritated General D'Coolette during his physical trial. As far as Captain Prower was concerned the two of them had merely got off on the wrong foot, they were more alike than they realised..

'_Ahh_..' The golden-furred fox gave a satisfied sound as he adjusted his sword to be able to counter this new blow angle. '-someone's been practising multi-handed duelling. Well, don't linger Hedgehog, show me what you've got..' Jules grinned widely, as he moved his sword into an attacking stance.

'On guard!' The cobalt-blue declared loudly, swiping his blade around ferociously barely giving his captain enough time to defend himself against this lightning-speed attack. Jules' own keen sight and swift hand-eye-coordination made him a natural swordsmobian. Being a right-handed Mobian meant that Amadeus Prower was at a sever disadvantage here. He was having to cover his body from a barrage of high-speed assaults from the teenage hedgehog and this meant that the Mobian-fox could only pull off basic defensive strategies, he did not get enough time to even consider an attack.

'Halt!' Captain Prower cried out once he found he could not take much more of the whirring blade movements, this hedgehog's speed would certainly make any enemy think twice before they dared take him on. In an instantaneous response to his commanding officer's order Jules stopped his sword mid-thrust causing the blade to sit poker-still just inches away from the twenty-four year old Mobian's rapidly moving stomach.

'Heh, my bad..' The hedgehog sounded apologetically as his cobalt-pointed ears dipped, a slightly sheepish grin causing his chip to appear at the side of his mouth. His sword instantly fell limp, the hilt swinging down to the highly-polished floor. The Captain of the Palace Guard gave an inward sigh of relief, despite his tiredness Amadeus was impressed by Jules' incredible control of a blade.

'Do not be discouraged, your swift-swordplay will be an invaluable asset when facing off with an enemy of the crown..' The captain replied with a sympathetic edge curving his smile before his expression turned serious. 'But having said that, while we are training let's employ a little discipline, shall we?' The Mobian-fox could not deny that the cobalt-blue hedgehog's skill had improved tremendously but he clearly needed to gain more self-control over his erratic movements and learn to be more accurate.

'You got it..' Jules sounded in an upbeat fashion, his mood lifting so fast it surprised his commanding officer.

'Alright, we'll go slower this time and I want your movements to be more precise..' Amadeus spoke clearly, repositioning his feet into a starting stance. 'Raise your sword.' He added his sword flicking momentarily to signal what he wanted. Jules immediately lifted his sword and moved his feet, his hazel eyes locked onto his commanding officer listening to him closely. 'And let's keep the hits blade to blade..' Amadeus Prower ran the sharp edge of his sword across the edge of Jules' sword causing a sharp screech of metal on metal to sound. '-it'll reduce the risk of accidents.' A smirk curved the golden-furred fox' mouth and the cobalt sixteen year old nodded solemnly.

'Right..' Jules sounded and his eyes now fixed on Amadeus' blade waiting for his commanding officer to commence training.

'On guard!' Captain Prower declared boldly and as he swung his sword down, the cobalt-blue hedgehog instantly meeting his blade with a swipe from his own and cocky grin..

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…Jules' unarmed combat training was just as rigorous. As well as learning how to properly tackle assailants and wrestle potential weapons off of them, he was also trained in the basics of Mobijitsu which the Royal Guard had found useful for the both balancing the mind and . Once this critical training was complete Jules Hedgehog was subjected to an outdoor simulation of an intruder breaking into the grounds of the palace carrying a dangerous weapon. The cobalt hedgehog's objective was to follow the 'sightings' provided by fellow Royal Guard officers, disable and arrest this intruder. Just like his physical trial this test was being overseen by General D'Coolette which meant it was essential that he got it right. He wasn't too nervous about the mock-intruder assessment as his fast feet would serve him a great advantage but he could not afford to be as cocky and reckless as he was in his physical trial nearly five weeks previously. He doubted that General D'Coolette would be amused if he treated this test with anything but a serious attitude..

The outdoor simulation was scheduled for dusk when the palace would be obscured by darkness and shadows making the test more challenging. This would be the first time the hedgehog would be at the palace after twilight. His usual twelve hours of intensive on-the-job training meant that he would be arriving home just before the sun was beginning to set. Since Jules knew he couldn't afford to mess this up the cobalt hedgehog had been practising his tracking, ambushing and arresting techniques at home on a rather irate and unsuspecting Charles.

'Julius!' The mild-blue hedgehog groaned in a loud irritated voice as he found himself pinned to the hard pine-wood floor of the hallway. Jules had been observing him from the dark shadows of the unlit hallway upstairs and simply launched himself over the banister and landed on his unsuspecting older brother who had just been innocently heading towards the front door.

'Your under arrest for trying to assassinate the king!' Jules declared brightly as he seized his brother's left arm and roughly snapped the manacle on it, a wide cocky grin spreading over his tanned muzzle as he did so.

'What? Why would I want to kill the king?' Charles yelped out in disbeleif before wincing with a slight 'ow' as his little brother snapped on the other manacle which forced his arm to his other wrist.

'I dunno.. You're the mastermind here, not me..' Jules replied with a shrug, still sitting on his brother's back and impeding him from attempting to get up. He then began raiding the pockets of Charles' white lab-coat before pulling out an energy bar with a triumphant smirk. 'Ah-hah! Just as I suspected!' The cobalt-blue hedgehog declared as his hazel eyes narrowed at the tiny metal grips.

'So… I'm murdering the king with a candy now. Is that right Jules?' Charles drawled in a low voice of disdain, even his own brother's logic amazed him.

'Hey, you coulda poisoned it Charlie..' The sixteen year old hedgehog replied lightly. Jules knew there was no way in Mobius that Charles would ever do such a thing but this was just a make-up arrest, he wasn't being serious. Besides Knothole was actually quite far away from Mobotroplis, if his brother had really been planning to assassinate the king he'd have been long gone by now. Knothole was hidden deep within the Great Forest of the Green Hill mountain-range. It was considered a sanctuary from modern Mobian-life and the Hedgehog family had lived peacefully here for as long as they could trace their family back, which was only as far as their great-great-grandfather.

'Ok, fine, you got me Jules. Now will you let me go?' Charles asked with a slight half-roll of his pale-blue eyes, rocking his body and trying to throw his brother off of him but Jules was too robust and didn't budge. 'I was just going to make sure the outdoor light was off.' The mild-blue hedgehog added.

'Alright, fine..' Jules sounded before pulling out the key to the hand-manacles out of the pocket and releasing the restraints from his brother's wrists. He then got off Charles' back, causing his mild-blue back-quills to ping back into their original position. Jules then went to the front door to check out the light but when he opened the door the light was already off and apart from a few dots of firefly-light the sleepy woodland hamlet around them was completely dark. 'Light's out Charlie.' The sixteen yer old cobalt-blue hedgehog shut the door again before turning around to find his older brother on his feet and straightening his ruffled lab-coat.

'Well that's alright then..' The older hedgehog then turned his pale-blue eyes to his brother. 'When is your outdoor test again?' He asked as innocently as he could, he couldn't remember and was hoping it was soon as he was getting sick and tired of being randomly jumped without warning. The mild-blue hedgehog supposed he really couldn't complain as he'd been subjecting his little brother to scientific experiments for years so this was obviously some form of pay-back.

'The simulation is tomorrow night Charlie so I won't be home until pretty late.' Jules replied amiably as he pocketed his standard-issue manacles once more into his red vest.

'Jules, your barely home as it is anymore.' Charles chuckled lightly, shaking his head in slight amusement. Ever since joining the Royal Guard the cobalt hedgehog got up in the morning for work and didn't come home until early evening.

'I know..' Jules drawled with a slight sigh. He did miss being able to just lounge in the late summer sun with his guitar and strum a lazy tune or go off and meet his buddies down Macey's for a drink and a catch up on life. Ever since starting his new job he'd not had much time for anything as his job training filled most of his time. When he did have a free moment he was lucky if he managed to catch up with any of his friends as they were all so busy too. 'But once my training is complete my hours will go down to the normal eight hour day, it's just really intense right now cause I need to learn a lot in a short space of time..'

'I understand that Jules, really I do. Protecting the royal family is a huge responsibility..' Charles said before he sighed heavily. 'I just miss seeing you on a regular basis..' The mild-blue hedgehog added with a slightly emotional smile. Whenever Jules was at home these days it was usually days that Charles was at Mobotroplis University finishing off the last pieces of the work-module that would complete his graduation. He had been staying late these days with Lionel Lion as they had almost finished creating the rubber compound that would soon become the new soles of Jules' boots. Right now the two of them had been using the data they had collected from Jules' speed tests to create the right boot-grips that would benefit his speed and deceleration requirements.

The younger Hedgehog brother smiled at his older sibling, his warm hazel eyes returning the sentiment. Although they shared a log cabin in the serenity of their childhood home of Knothole the two brothers were lucky if they got to see each other for more than an hour or so. It was almost like they were slowly becoming strangers in each others lives and after a lifetime of always being in one another's pockets this was a massive change to swallow.

'Right back at you bro..' Jules sounded before opening his arms and giving his brother a hug. Immediately Charles returned the embrace eagerly and the two siblings merely held each other close relishing the moment of closeness. Jules was taller than his brother by only half an inch but it was only now, when the two Hedgehog brothers were right up close to each other like this that the slight height difference between the two was noticeable. This was the first real hug that the two siblings had shared since their father's death only a few months earlier. The Hedgehog brothers had long since evolved passed the stage of saying 'I love you', not because they were too macho but simply because neither brother saw any point in voicing something that they could see clearly in each others eyes. When they did feel the need to express their deeper feelings these wordless hugs could say it better than anything they could articulate with words, and since now they were the last two Hedgehogs left these brotherly hugs meant even more.

'I should probably go to bed..' Jules voice suddenly spoke, ruining the sentimental bubble created by their embrace of sibling love. The cobalt-blue teenager pulled away from his older brother still smiling. He suddenly seemed more tired than he'd been only a few moments before but this was probably the result of such a busy day.

'Yeh, you've got a big day tomorrow but before you go there's something I want you to see..' Charles replied keenly, slipping an arm around his little brother's shoulders and guiding him back down the hall towards the former dining room. Jules yawned but didn't resist as his brother steered him into his make-shift laboratory.

'Alright but make it quick..' The cobalt teen replied as he took a seat at the table-slash-workbench and folding his arms, waiting to see what his brother wanted to show him now.

'Don't worry, this won't take long..' Charles replied amiably, smiling at his brother as his moustache twitched. He then headed over to the cabinet at the side and picked up a rather bizarre shaped polibindum cast and put the tough plastic-like-object down in front of his brother. Jules picked up the tough but lightweight plastic-like-object and studied it both curious yet confused at the same time, clearly he couldn't work out why he was looking at this.

'Err, not to sound like a complete dunce or nothin' but why am I looking at this?' The cobalt hedgehog's warm hazel eyes turned to his brother for answers and the older hedgehog laughed in slight amusement.

'It's one on the moulds that will form the new soles for your boots, that one is for your right foot.' Charles said and the moment his voice washed over Jules he could suddenly see the boot-print for what it was. 'The left foot is still setting in the university lab but once it's hardened Lionel and I can start mixing up the molten rubber compound that will form the soles..' The mild-blue hedgehog was saying as his little brother looked over the boot-print with new understanding.

'Far out Charlie, it looks good. So when can I expect the finished product?' Jules' hazel eyes returned to his brother as the cobalt teen passed him back the mould back over. Charles took the mould with a smiled and put it back on the cabinet where he'd picked it up from.

'It should be ready for you by next week.' Charles said lightly.

'Oh, not a moment too soon then.' Jules grinned widely, displaying his chipped tooth. 'My standard-issue combat boots are gonna need a new set of soles by then.' The cobalt hedgehog thought about his red boots sitting at the front door which he had been wearing almost day in and day out for the last five weeks, they were pretty worn down and wouldn't last much longer.

'I noticed.' Charles said casually and this made Jules roll his hazel eyes, why was he not surprised. His older brother was incredibly sharp, he often spotted things even before Jules had noticed them himself, it must come with his vast intelligence and while it was an impressive gift it could become quite irritating at times.

'Well if that's all you got to show me I'll be heading of to bed now..' The cobalt hedgehog stretched out languidly, stifling a yawn as he did this. When his eyes refocused from momentarily shutting he suddenly spotted Charles' ring-restraint gun sitting on the side. The Mobian Council had given him permission to put these guys into production but Charles had not even tried to find a law-enforcement outfit who would be interested in his brilliant device. This was because he had been too busy creating Jules' new soles. The cobalt teen felt bad for this, feeling like it was partly his fault that his brother had been held up from capitalizing on his invention… he wished there was something he could do to help.

Then just like that a brainwave hit him… He was part of a law-enforcement outfit! Perhaps if he showed his commanding officers just how Charles' new device could benefit them then the Royal Guard could sponsor the mass production of it as well as get the first prototypes. It was brilliant! He could just sneak the ring-restraint gun into his outdoor simulation tomorrow night..

'Oh, sure.. Goodnight Jules..' Charles, who had resumed packing away a few bits he'd need with him at the university the next day, spoke vaguely barely distracted from his task.

'G'night Charlie..' Jules drawled as he pulled himself out of his seat and wandered off sluggishly to bed. Tomorrow was definitely going to be an interesting night..

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'_Blue Blur. Blue Blur__…__ this is Golden Foxtrot do you read me?_' The walkie-talkie hissed as Captain Prower's voice came through the speaker and immediately the cobalt-blue cadet-in-training whipped out the minuscule oval-shaped device out of his bright red utility-belt. He pushed the device to his tanned mussel, just under his long black nose.

'Golden Foxtrot this is Blue Blur readin' you loud and clear..' Jules drawled confidently, his hazel eyes narrowed deviously as he scanned the dark palace grounds, a wide smirk twisting across his lips. '-what'cha got for me, sir?'

'_Your target has been spotted in section-nine and is considered armed and dangerous, proceed with caution.._' Captain Prower's voice spoke in an athoritive tone.

'Can do mon capitan..' Jules responded good-humouredly before pocketing his miniscule walkie-talkie back into his red utility-belt and instantly leapt out of the tall tree he'd been stood in to survey the grounds.

'_And don__'__t do anything stupid!_' Prower's voice called out from his utility-belt.

'Yeh, yeh…' Jules drawled dismissively, rolling his hazel eyes. '-you sound like my brother.' The cobalt-blue hedgehog then shot off in the direction of section-nine which was around the rear of the palace. His fast feet beat across the grassy lawn of the well-manicured ground, barely making a sound as he kept to the bushes and shrubs. The rustling of leaves was the only real sound that was made as the hedgehog passed through a hedge which acted as a partition between two sections of ground. As he pulled small branches of plant out of his quills movement caught his attention and he instantly spotted a figure in black skulking around the rear of the palace. Immediately the sixteen year old hedgehog whipped out his tiny walkie-talkie and pushed the 'talk' button as he put the device to his mouth.

'This is Blue Blur, target is in sight and approaching the rear palace entrance. Seems to be on his own…' Jules swivelled his blue-quilled head double-checking this fact and finding no accomplices in sight anywhere. His mouth returned to the palm-sized walkie-talkie in his hand and spoke again. 'I'm goin' in..'

'_What?_' Prower's voice came back sounding shocked by these words. '_Hedgehog your supposed to follow procedure, examine the threat level before you go in!_' The Mobian-fox' voice sounded irritably but his words only made Jules sigh heavily.

'Trust me..' He spoke back into his walkie-talkie, pulling his brother's ring-restraint gun out of the back of his utility-belt. He'd swiped the neglected invention off of the side-cabinet where his older brother had left it. He moved the sliding button on top from 'recall' to 'release' arming the gun for use. '-I know what I'm doing..' He then pocketed the device back into his bright red utility-belt and slipped over the lawn between bushes and peaked out at his target who was still scoping out the rear of the palace, slipping further around the side towards the entrance. The next second Jules burst out of the hedge, startling his target who immediately began running very quickly away. Although he couldn't run as fast as Jules the cobalt-blue hedgehog decided to shoot down the green in a large circle, appearing a ten yards in front of his target cutting off his path. As the figure in black gasped in shock he skidded to a halt then turned around and began running at top speed in the opposite direction, Jules immediately extended the ring-restraint gun and squeezed the trigger. With a soft swooshing sound the neon-blue ball of energy shot after the target and snaked itself around his ankles causing the balaclava-masked Mobian to fall flat as his ankles locked together. The target skidded across the ground at the speed he'd originally been running at as a blur of blue overtook him and appeared in front of him. Jules just stood waiting for the 'prisoner' to skid over to him before raising a red-booted foot and pushing it down onto the back of the Mobian, forcing him to stop early.

'You are under arrest!' Jules declared as he pointed the restraint gun down to the Mobian pinned to the grassy floor and manacled his hands with a second set of neon-blue energy rings. 'Now to find those concealed weapons..' Jules then began riling the prisoner's pockets before locating two large knives strapped to his body hidden underneath his black long-sleave top and a third strapped to one of his legs. Once he was positive that the prisoner was fully disarmed the teenage hedgehog reached forward and yanked off the balaclava that had been hiding the identity of his mock-intruder.

'Argus?' Jules sounded as the golden body-fur and red fur-like-hair of the dark-green-eyed Mobian wolf was revealed. 'You were my invader?'

'Yeh…' The wolf responded with a wince as he had slight grass-burns from skidding across the ground. '-I took my test yesterday and passed with honours so they asked me step in tonight.'

'Far out Arg, congratulations on passin' buddy.' The cobalt teenage hedgehog winked at his fellow newbie before catching sight of their commanding officers approach. While General D'Coolette's face was unreadable Captain Prower looked slightly put out. 'I guess I'm about to find out how I did..' Jules said as he folded his arms and placed one leg over the other.

'Good luck.' Argus sounded from his spot on the ground, the glowing blue cuffs still restraining his feet and hands.

'Hedgehog!' Amadeus scowled as he got closer to the cobalt-blue teen. 'You deliberately disobeyed my order to check the threat level! If Fletcher had been an Overlander with a gun you'd have been dead..' The golden-furred fox hissed angrily.

'If Argus had been holding a gun I would have used a different manoeuvre..' Jules merely pointed out matter-of-factly.

'Zat is not zee point 'Edgehog, you deeliberately deesobeyed a direct order from your capteen..' General D'Coolette spoke before the coyote's deep blue eyes turned to the ring-restraint gun. 'And what's worse is you used somesing zat is not included in zee kit you received at zee start of your training..' The foreign Mobian-coyote then folded his arms. 'I will haf to mark you down for zees 'Edgehog.' He then whipped out a clipboard he had been taking notes on about the hedgehog's performance.

'Oh come on… I caught him in record time, didn't I?' Jules sounded with a small touch of petulance hitting his tone. It seemed both his commanding officers were against him on this one. 'And I did it without even having to confront him face-to-face, without my brother's invention it would have taken me twice as long to subdue Argus here.' He gestured wildly to the Mobian on the ground beside him.

'He does have a point there sir.' Argus' voice suddenly spoke up from his position still on the lawn. 'It took me nearly three times as long to 'arrest' Peckers last night, that device that Jules has certainly would make our jobs a whole lot easier and avoid some nasty situations in the process.' At his words Amadeus Prower seemed to sigh, as if relenting to the small portion of truth behind his cadets words.

'We cannot just eegnore zee fact zat he did not follow orders..' General D'Coolette scowled. 'I cannot 'ave fuels in my guard! I need my cadets to follow zere orders down to zee coffee!'

'T sir..' Captain Amadeus interjected at this point. 'Down to a T is what you meant.'

'Oh, whatever..' The foreign pale-tan coyote with blonde curls rolled his deep blue eyes dismissively at his lower officer.

'May we see that device Hedgehog..' Captain Prower suddenly stated firmly and held out a gloved hand towards the cobalt hedgehog.

'Well, sure, I guess..' The sixteen year old hedgehog shrugged before passing the ring-restraint gun over to his commanding officer. The Captain of the Palace Guard studied the design of the gun shaped device, quickly deducing its controls before sliding the button on top to 'recall' and pointing the gun at Argus, who was still on the floor with his hands and feet restrained. Immediately the two glowing neon-blue balls off energy were sucked back into the rectangular barrel. Argus Fletcher immediately sighed with relief at regaining the ability to move and pulled himself up off of the grass, brushing off some loose grass leaves that was stuck to his black clothing.

'Well, it's easy enough to operate and the cadets do make a valid point. A restraint device like this would make criminal arrests much safer..' Amadeus Prower stated to the Royal Guard General causing both Jules and Argus to blink at each other and flash a slight grin. '_However_..'

'Uh-oh..' Jules drawled in a low voice to his fellow cadet. '-knew it was too good to be true.'

'-I do believe that Hedgehog should redo his outdoor simulation using the pre-approved kit he was issued with at the start of his training. Only if he completes this test with merit will I stand behind the proposal of this device.' The golden-furred fox lanced his firm gaze to his cobalt cadet.

'Très Bien Capteen Prower.. I am agreeing with you completely.' General D'Coolette sounded impressed before turning to the two cadets still stood in front of him. 'Monsieur Fletcher, go and be making yourself less visible. And 'Edgehog, go back to ze point you were starting from.. We will be going encore un fois..'

'Yes, sir..' Both cadets responded with a sigh before they both turned in opposite directions and headed off to position themselves to begin the simulation again..

* * *

Jules Hedgehog's second attempt at the simulation went off without a hitch, though it did take him a little longer to track down Argus Fletcher and 'arrest' him using the correct procedures. He still managed to break the record for completing the test in the shortest time which made Captain Prower smile with a sense of renewed pride in his finest cadet. Jules may be reckless and inconsiderate of the Royal Guard's proper procedures but the Mobian-fox couldn't deny that his hedgehog cadet did produce results. True to his own word Captain Amadeus Prower stood by his cobalt-blue cadet and backed Jules' suggestion that the ring-restraint gun be used by the Royal Guard in the place of their standard restraint-manacles.

This put General D'Coolette in a rather difficult position. It was easy to dismiss an idea when it was merely his rookie-cadet that was suggesting it but now that Jules had Captain Prower backing him up he was forced to seriously consider the ring-restraint gun. After seriously weighing up the pros and cons of having such a device on his guard General D'Coolette was forced to admit that the pros outweighed the cons and he relented, reluctantly agreeing to speak to King Ogilvie the Third. Since the Royal Guard were paid for entirely by the King of Mobius from the royal fortune anything new they wished to introduce to their job had to meet with his approval first. As the highest ranking officer of the Royal Guard it was General D'Coolette's duty to pitch this new idea to the king. It was fortunate for Armand D'Coolette that he was on friendly terms with the king, the deceased Queen of Mobius had been good friends with his own wife. As the foreign tan-furred coyote went to talk to the King Ogilvie the Third Jules Hedgehog waited in the foyer with Amadeus Prower for the news.

'Hedgehog..' Amadeus' voice sounded causing cobalt hedgehog's hazel eyes swivelled around from the royal paintings along the wall, his attention back around to his commanding officer. '-I know that I'm the reason you had to rerun your simulation tonight but-'

'You were just doing your job, I know sir.' Jules replied, cutting over his captain before he could explain himself any further, a small smile was playing about the hedgehog's mouth.

'So no hard feelings then?' Captain Prower kinked a slim light-brown eyebrow curiously.

'From me?' The cobalt teenager blinked in response. '_Nahhh_… not my style..' Jules' grin suddenly widened, he then gave a slightly careless shrug. 'Besides, I was kinda expecting it.' The sixteen year old hedgehog had never held any kind of grudge in his life, he was too laid-back and open-minded to let anything irritate him for long.

'You were?' Amadeus said before frowning slightly now. 'If you knew you would be forced to redo your mock-arrest then why did you still proceed with your impromptu demonstration?' The cobalt hedgehog thought about this for a moment, realising just how reckless his move had been and considering how different things could've turned out..

'I did it for my brother..' Jules responded and the golden-furred Mobian-fox cocked his head intrigued. He was spared from asking why as the cobalt teenage hedgehog continued. 'He was given approval from the Mobian Council to let the ring-restraint gun be introduced to society. But he hasn't had a chance to find sponsorship because he's been too busy creating a rubber compound that will make a more resilient sole for my boots. These regular ones wear out _far_ too fast.' He lifted the right foot of his red combats to show his captain the worn beige rubber-sole.

'That is so _recklessly_ honourable of you Hedgehog..' Amadeus responded touched by the cobalt teenager's brotherly gesture.

'Eh, I just wanted to help him out..' Jules raised a white-gloved hand and ran his fingers through his blue quiff of soft-quills, a look of awkward modesty was written all over his face. Suddenly the double doors to the throne room banged open and General D'Coolette came out into the foyer making both the golden-furred fox and cobalt hedgehog swivel their eyes towards him, curious to hear what the verdict was.

'Ze king is willing to allow zees device to entrer ze Royal Guard..' The general sounded before adding under his breath in a voice of slight disapproval. '-despite ze fact zat zee inventor is relative unknown..'

'That's wonderful news, sir..' Captain Prower sounded brightly as he shared a wide grin with his cobalt cadet. 'And he is willing to sponsor the production, too?' Both the Captain of the Palace Guard and the cobalt-blue hedgehog threw the light-tan-furred coyote a questioning look. For a breif moment General D'Coolette's upper lip curled as if he were in two minds about answering before he sighed.

'Oui..' The foreign coyote finally responded. 'Ze king has alreadee made ze call to ze Minister of Science who confirmed 'Edgehog's storee, zees device was indeed zee invention of Charles' 'Edgehog, a protégée of Professor Nate Morgan..'

'_Nate Morgan!_' Amadeus Prower gasped in amazement. '_The_ Nate Morgan who single-handedly brought Mobius out of the dark ages..' He then turned to the sixteen year old rookie-cadet hedgehog beside him who was merely smiling lightly.

'Zee very same.' General D'Coolette replied with a twitch of his thin blonde moustache. 'Eet was zees fact zat was swaying zee king's decision.'

'You never said your brother was the student of Nate Morgan before..' The golden-furred Mobian-fox said to his trainee officer..

'Why would I?' Jules replied airily with a nonchalant shrug as he closed his eyes. 'Went I met him the guy asked me if I wanted a psychological evaluation..'

'Zee man is a genius..' General D'Coolette drawled dryly to himself as his deep blue eyes narrowed.

'I'm sure he was just humouring you Hedgehog.' Amadeus smiled in a friendly fashion at the cobalt-blue hedgehog before pushing out his hand to him. 'And congratulations on securing your brother a contract, I look forward to working with the new device.'

'Thank you, sir..' Jules Hedgehog replied as he shook hands with his commanding officer warmly.

'Oui, congratulations. I will be contacting your brother soon to be sorting out ze finer details..' General D'Coolette said causing the hedgehog to smile at his senior officer.

'I'll be sure to let him know..' The cobalt hedgehog gave him lifted his fingers giving him an 'A-OK' sign.

'And 'Edgehog..' D'Coolette added sternly causing the rookie-cadet's grin to falter. 'Next time you are wanting to be suggesting changes, take ze proper channels.'

'Understood, sir..' Jules replied solemnly, accepting this slight rebuke before finding himself dismissed from duty until the next day..

* * *

It was incredibly late when Jules appeared back to the Hedgehog family home in the pitch black hamlet of Knothole. When he pushed the front door shut he was unsurprised to find the dining-room light still on meaning Charles was still up and probably working on something. The cobalt-blue hedgehog stifled an exhausted yawn before kicking off his red combat-boots, planning to sneak up the stairs and into bed before his brother could ask how his simulation had gone.

'Jules?' The sound of his older brother's voice sounded as the cobalt hedgehog reached the fourth step.

'Yeh, it's just me Charlie..' He sighed slightly in his response, there was no point trying to hide the fact that he was home. The next second the mild-blue hedgehog appeared in the doorway, his pale-blue eyes locking onto his little brother who was now leaning on the banister gazing back with one leg casually over the other.

'How did it go?' Charles asked curiously, pulling a small scrap of cloth out of his pocket and polished a lens on his reading spectacles, pocketing both once he was done.

'Fine. I broke a new record for fastest arrest but then, that's no surprise, huh?' Jules responded lightly despite his tiredness, it had been a long day for him.

'You did? That's great..' The mild-blue hedgehog sounded enthusiastically with a smile. 'By the way, you haven't seen my ring-restraint gun have you? I was sure I put it on the cabinet here but it's not there now..' The mild-blue hedgehog then scratched his forehead just above his left bushy eyebrow and just over from his pointed ear. 'It's the darndest thing..' He murmured thoughtfully, trying to think where his missing invention could be.

'Well, actually, yeh. I do know where it is..' Jules threw a slightly sheepish grin. '-it's… uh, at the palace.' For a moment all Charles could do was stare at his brother in amazement before a slightly suspicious scowl appeared on his face.

'Oh. And what's it doing there?' He asked in a slightly stern older brother tone, his gloved hands immediately going to his waist as his foot tapped the ground in a slightly irritable fashion.

'I kinda took it to work without asking..' Jules' grin widened guiltily before he immediately forestalled his older brother from saying anything as his scowl deepened. '-but before you go nuts at me Charlie I think you should know that my bosses were really impressed with it. So impressed that they actually want to do a deal with you and bring them into practise..' The younger cobalt Hedgehog brother threw his older sibling his best 'please don't yell at me' puppy-dog expression, praying he wasn't about to get yet another lecture on 'borrowing' his brother's stuff without asking. For a long moment Charles stared at his little brother in a stunned silence.

'Your kidding..' The mild-blue hedgehog finally said, still looking shocked. Jules merely shook his head in response to this. Suddenly Charles looked a little emotional, he couldn't believe that his little brother had actually gone and done this for him. He was graduating in only a couple of weeks and once he'd finished off the boot-soles for Jules he was going to see about sorting out sponsorship for his invention… but his little brother had now done it for him.

'I can't believe you did that for me Jules..' Charles sounded in a soft voice.

'Ah, come on Charlie. After what your doin' for me with my boots it's the least I could do.' The cobalt-blue hedgehog responded lightly with a sentimental smile. 'And F.Y.I the general will be in touch to sort out the finer details.. I gotta warn you now though, he's got a fruity French accent so you gotta _really_ listen to what he's sayin' to you.'

'Thanks little brother..' The recently-turned twenty year old hedgehog returned the smile to his younger sibling before it turned into a serious look once more. '-but next time, _ask_ before you take my stuff, ok Jules.' The cobalt-blue hedgehog merely pulled himself away from the banister and rolled his warm hazel eyes.

'G'night Charlie..' He uttered with a dismissive wave of his hand and continued up the stairs to bed..

* * *

_Little Notes:_

_Hey peeps, ok… I admit this chapter is a little boring but totally necessary as I had to finally establish Charles as an inventor and explain a bit about Jules' training. I did do a little research on what being a guard was all about but I have added a few things of my own into the mix. I did try to punch in a little humour into this chapter especially with General D'Coolette, who I think is like a more serious version of Antoine (although I think his humour will be a bit drier than his son's)._

_Again I'm trying to put in more sibling fluff between Jules and Charles here along with the sense that they are still painfully aware of the fact that they are the last two members of their family left. It's difficult thing to write so I hope I'm managing to pull it off._

_Ok, the next chapter will be getting back to Princess Aleena and Jules, how will he react when he realises just who 'Bernadette' really is…_

_Until next time…_

_~Ditzy x _


	8. A Day Full Of Surprises

**A Tale of Two Brothers**

_Hey Peeps, I don't own anything related to Sonic or his universe, that's SEGA and all other companies relevant to the creation of his various back-stories, and even though most of them have tanked it now that is besides the point… Honestly, I actually own very little in this fic (next to nothing to be exact) but this is __my__ story and even though I am using characters from Archie, DiC and SEGA I will be fleshing many of them out because they were only 2-dimensional so in some ways they will appear very OC… hopefully you'll bear with me! Anyway, I've bored you to tears with this disclaimer so enjoy… and let me know what you think! X_

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**Review Replies:**

**Slayer 666: It's not sad to say that but it would be a wrong assumption. Jules and Aleena's relationship is on a different story arc to Charles and Jules' brotherly relationship at the moment. They're both as important as each other and eventually they will blur into the same story tangent but for now, they are two separate parts of the same story. And your idea regarding Jules going off to war is interesting but I have my own idea with a different kind of title. To be honest that link never occurred to me when I chose Jules' extended first name. I was merely picking a name that Jules was used as a shorting for and since Robotnick/Eggman's first name id Julian I didn't want to use that… besides, Julius goes better with Charles, don't you think? X**

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**Chapter Eight:****A Day Full Of Surprises.. **

Within the next few weeks Charles Hedgehog graduated from Mobotroplis University with full honours and no minors, making him the top scoring student of his whole year. His brother Jules was there for his graduation along with Lionel Lion, Cocoa Cat and Ginger Tigris who all gave him congratulatory hugs and made sure that they were the first to call him by his new title of Doctor Hedgehog. Unfortunately neither Tiger nor Sherman could be there as they were busy in the barracks but the small group of them still dragged Charles out to celebrate his success. With his ring-restraint gun now officially part of the standard kit in the Royal Guard and the Metropolitan Guard now seriously interested in incorporating into there's, Charles was set to do very well for himself and he'd only just stepped out the university door. No-mobian was happier for his brother than Jules was. Charles had always known what he'd wanted to do, he'd worked hard all throughout his school years and he was now going to reap the rewards of his efforts. He really deserved all his success and his cobalt little brother had been more than happy to give his older sibling the little nudge of help he needed to get started..

Jules wriggled his socked-toes once again inside his combat boots. He couldn't help it, his genius brother had re-soled his boots with the new strengthened rubber grips and lined the insides with specially designed insoles that cushioned his feet and kept them cool at the same time, his toes had never felt this level of comfort before. He could run around and his boots did not reach the blistering hot temperatures that made his feet sweat like crazy, instead they stayed cool and the rubber covering the underside of his boot didn't leave long rubbery deposits when he braked. Even the horrible screeching sound that came with it had softened and shorted so it was just a breif noise rather than a long drawn out squeal. They'd turned out so well that Lionel and Charles had done both his red work-boots and his brown combat boots as well. The two of them had become quite a team, it was likely that the two science-minded Mobians would keep in touch. They had always been somewhat friendly since the blonde lion was one of Jules' best friends but it seemed that now their friendship had been cemented by their similar interests. The cobalt hedgehog was pleased, it was about time his brother had a real friend that wasn't 'some balding upper-class nark'..

The teenage hedgehog too was doing well, his training with the Royal Guard was now almost complete. Learning his duties inside the palace was, as Jules expected, one of the hardest parts of his training. The sixteen year old hedgehog had to be consciously aware of his behaviour at all times, which was something new to him entirely. Since he was now working right under his commanding general, the same foreign coyote who's nose he had knocked out joint _twice_ already, Jules felt he needed to prove that he could take his job seriously. Even though the hedgehog could use his speed freely outdoors General D'Coolette had forbidden him from speeding around like an 'idiot fou' inside. So the cobalt teen was reduced to moving around like a 'slow guy'. Jules understood his commanding general's reasoning behind it, after all he didn't want to bump into other palace employees and cause accidents. But breaking his fast-footed habit of a lifetime was even more difficult than holding his tongue. Jules did find himself trying to desperately retain subconscious urges to just zip down hallways but the hedgehog was not perfect, sometimes his booted-feet would burst into a split-second speed-rev and he was forced to immediately skid to a halt, apologising profusely for his slip in control. General D'Coolette would merely raise a brow at his cobalt rookie-cadet but didn't say a thing, perhaps understanding that kicking such a deeply ingrained habit would take time. It wasn't all bad though the three rookie-cadets had now been reunited after spending the last few weeks apart. Jules was delighted to be reunited with his fellow rookie-cadets Argus Fletcher and Jasper Jacks, an all black Mobian-cat with piercing green eyes.

Despite the few social faux-pas General D'Coolette seemed rather impressed with all three of his rookie-cadets' progress and finally decided that they were ready to be in the presence of the King of Mobius..

* * *

Jules was nervous. He, like every other Mobian, knew what King Ogilvie the Third looked like from the Holoprojections of him on Holovision but he'd never imagined he'd ever meet the king face to face. He supposed that since he was a member of the Royal Guard it would be silly if he never met the sovereign he had sworn to protect and serve. On the surface both Argus and Jasper seemed calm but no doubt they were feeling something similar to himself. The three of them were being led outside for the usual morning drill along with their fellow gentlemobians of arms by Captain Amadeus Prower while General D'Coolette would be bringing the King of Mobius out to inspect the troops.

Morning drills had always been nothing more than an irritation to be endured to the cobalt hedgehog, but then he did not like rising early so that was no surprise. Once all the guards were neatly lined up in their lines with the three rookie-cadets stood side by side in the centre of the front row Captain Prower paced with a clipboard taking morning attendance, calling out cadet names and waiting for the inevitable response of 'present sir'. When he'd finally reached the bottom of the list with everybody in attendance the Mobian-fox turned to his troop of guards.

'Alright everyone listen up..' Amadeus sounded commanding the full attention of the ranks before him. '-in a little while General D'Coolette will be bringing King Ogilvie the Third down for troop inspection. It's just an informal check as the king wishes to see how our new rookies are fairing up..' Many of the cadets that had been there longer than the three newbies made murmurs of understanding and smirked at the three teenage cadets standing at the front. Jasper, Argus and Jules all exchanged a slightly nervous glance before resuming their rigid stance. Their moment of worry was not missed by Amadeus Prower who smiled kindly at the three teens before him.

'Don't worry boys, you'll do just fine..' The golden-furred fox gave a shadow of a wink at them before returning his gaze to the troop as a whole. Swivelling around sharply the Mobian-fox stood rigid then bellowed loudly. 'Atten-_shun!_' Immediately his cadets stood sharply to attention. He then pulled his baton out and pointed it upwards in front of them in the direction they were going to advance in. 'And forward.. _march!_' He declared instantly moving forward in a rigid march, his legs keeping to the strict ninety-degree knee bend. His cadets followed keeping to their lines neat and their march perfectly tight, their arms swinging neatly at their sides as they followed their captain.

As the Royal Guard performed their standard morning drill General D'Coolette pushed open the double-doors to the palace and stepped out onto the beige cobbled-stone courtyard followed swiftly by the King of Mobius. The green fur and quills of the king shone brightly in the morning sun and his maroon eyes turned to the guard troops. His white gloved hands were resting behind his back against his long red cape as he stood beside his general.

'As you are seeing your majesté..' The light-tanned coyote was saying as he gestured to the troops as they marched onwards, still being lead by Captain Prower who was wearing a slight smile of pride. '-ze new cadets are feeting in quite well..' General D'Coolette reached up and twiddled his blonde moustache with a smug smirk. The king chuckled warmly at these words and smiled to his old friend.

'Even the troublemaker Armand?' King Ogilvie the Third asked with a slight hint of jest in his aristocratic voice. He had heard much about a certain blue hedgehog that seemed to be testing his old fencing partner's patience and was quite curious to see the youth for himself.

'Oui..' The general replied with a slight sigh as his deep blue eyes narrowed. '-even _him_..'

'Jolly good.' The green-quilled king declared brightly as his rubbed his white-gloved hands together eagerly in front of his pristine white uniform. 'Call your mobians in then and let's have a look at them..' The King of Mobius beamed at his old friend, his maroon-coloured eyes only flashing him a fleeting glance before they returned to the troop of guards.

'_Ah_, bon oui your majesté..' General D'Coolettereplied, a slight smile returning to his mouth he then caught Captain Prower's attention with a couple of raised hand signals, silently gesturing for his captain to finish up the march and bring the troops back. The golden-furred fox with light brown head curls caught his commanding officer's wordless order and saluted back, throwing a sharp nod showing he understood.

'By the left flank.. _March!_' Captain Prower suddenly sounded in an imperious tone and instantly the troop of Royal Guard cadets swivelled sharply around ninety degrees so they were facing the palace and moved swiftly, following the Captain of the Palace Guard back across the large cobbled courtyard to the front steps where General D'Coolette and King Ogilvie the Third were waiting for them.

'Company.. _Halt!_' Captain Prower called out in a loud athoritive voice causing his troop to stop dead only a few feet before the general and king. He then swivelled sharply around in a one-eighty degree turn to face his cadets, a solemn expression etched on his white muzzle. He then called his final order. 'Squad _atten-shun!_' the cadets immediately squared up their shoulders, locking them into position with their hands clasped neatly behind their backs, chest puffed out and heads head high. At the same time their left legs lifted to a ninety degree angle before they stamped them down with their feet forming a perfect V-shape as they all stood rapt to attention. Captain Prower flashed his troop a split-second proud smile before it vanished and he swivelled back to his commanding officer saluting sharply. 'Morning drill complete, _sir_. Cadets are ready for inspection..' Captain Prower declared with pride in his voice.

'Très bein Capteen Prower..' General D'Coolette sounded in his foreign drawl, saluting back to his lower ranking officer. 'Now stand down, I will be taking it from here..' The light-tanned coyote with blonde curls sounded with a slight smile.

'As you wish general..' The blonde-furred Mobian-fox replied as he turned around to face the cadet troop as both General D'Coolette and King Ogilvie the Third stepped down onto the cobbles of the courtyard. His white-gloved hands moved to rest against his lower back, one inside the other but unlike the cadets in front of him his stance was more casual since he had now been given temporary leave of his duties.

'I see you've done an excellent job of whipping the cadets into shape captain, good show.' King Ogilvie sounded to the twenty-four year old Mobian-fox who smiled back at his monarch.

'Thank you sire.' Amadeus replied politely with a small smile and the King of Mobius gave a nod and a smile.

'Your most welcome my lad.' King Ogilvie the Third replied lightly before turning back around to General Armand D'Coolette and approaching the first row of cadets. 'So tell me Armand, who are our new recruits..'

'Zees tree right here at ze front your majesté..' The coyote sounded gesturing to the yellow-furred wolf with the turf of red fur on his head, an all black Mobian-cat and the slightly shorter cobalt-blue hedgehog in-between the two.

'_Ah_, I see..' The green-furred royal hedgehog smiled slightly as his maroon eyes scanned the three new-comers. '-and their names are..?' The King of Mobius tailed off from his question as his old friend could supply a fluid answer.

'Argus P Fletcher..' General D'Coolette's gloved index-finger pointed to the wolf before it swivelled to the black Mobian-cat. '-Jasper F Jacks and..' A slight sigh escaped the light-tan-furred coyote as his pointing finger swerved towards the sixteen year old rookie-cadet. '-Jules T 'Edgehog..' General D'Coolette resisted the urge to roll his deep blue eyes, not that it would have mattered if he did as at the mention of this cadet's name the king looked at his fellow hedgehog with interest.

'Hedgehog? I thought that surname had died out long ago..' The King of Mobius sounded in surprise to his general.

'Apparently not sire..' Armand D'Coolette replied in a dry drawl and the King of Mobius' maroon eyes snapped onto his cobalt kindred-species. 'Where have your family been hiding all this time?' The look of burning curiosity that the elder green hedgehog was throwing him made Jules slightly nervous.

'_Err_, Knothole sire..' The cobalt hedgehog responded with a small hint of discomfort to his tone, clearly not sure why his monarch was so interested in him. He could feel the eyes of many of the cadets behind him boring into the back of his head and curved quills..

'Knothole? Where is that?' King Ogilvie asked in a slightly puzzled tone, looking to his general for some clue as he had clearly never heard of it before.

'Eet is a small 'amlet in ze Vert 'Ill Moun-tain range. It is, how you say, quite see-clue-did..' The French-speaking coyote replied with a slight smile and the fact that General D'Coolette knew exactly where Knothole was surprised Jules. For some reason he didn't expect anyone here to know just where his tiny hamlet was.

'Incredible, right under our nose and we didn't even know about it.' The King of Mobius replied with a smile before his attention returned to the cobalt-blue hedgehog. 'And your family has been there all this time?' He continued keenly.

'_Uhh_, yeh… I think so anyway..' Jules said as his hazel eyes rolled up vaguely, trying to recall if he'd heard different but he couldn't think of anything. As far back as they could trace the Hedgehog family had always been in Knothole, although his family could not trace their family back much further than his great-great grandfather there was nothing to suggest that his family had lived anywhere else.

'Would you consider it too forward of me to enquire about your middle name, Hedgehog?' The green-quilled King of Mobius asked while General D'Coolette looked between the two completely bemused, not seeing why his ruler was so fascinated by his most troublesome cadet.

'No sire. It's Theodore, a name that has been in my family for generations..' The hedgehog rookie-cadet replied before shrugging and adding, '-apparently..' It had been his great-great grandfather's middle name so no doubt some-hedgehog further back had been named that. Charles had once tried to research their family tree in the Mobotroplis Public Library as he'd also been curious about the origins of his own middle name of Thomas, clearly wondering if it had any connection to King Thomas the first ruler of Mobius, though Jules thought he'd just been reaching as the name could just have been given in honour of him. However since there was no paper trail for citizens in Knothole from before the last century he had been forced to quit, it seemed that the origins of both their middle names had been lost in the past..

'Theodore..' The green-furred hedgehog's neat brow raised as he glanced to his old friend. '-the missing prince..' His voice was low now as he addressed his old fencing partner and Jules' expression furrowed curiously, not following this conversation tangent. General D'Coolette's eyes widened in both surprise and alarm at what his monarch and old friend was suggesting.

'_Noh_… you don't theenk?' The coyote drawled in shock, his own blue eyes glanced towards the cobalt-blue hedgehog.

'It's a possibility.' King Ogilvie replied lightly. 'After all, nobody knows what happened to him after he abandoned his claim to the throne.' It was now that the Royal Guard General noticed that all his cadets were throwing them inquisitive looks and immediately the coyote cleared his throat loudly.

'We should be continuing this in more privacy, oui?' At his words the green-furred royal hedgehog suddenly looked round to the cadets an d saw the dozens of curious and confused looks.

'Yes Armand, that would be best..' Immediately the king turned away from the front line of cadets. Once the backs of their monarch and commanding general were turned many cadets including Argus and Jasper threw Jules a curious glance to which the cobalt hedgehog shrugged proving he was a confused as them about this.

'You many resume command of your troop Prower..' The King of Mobius sounded regally as he passed Amadeus. The golden-furred fox was looking just as bemused by this strange inspection as the rest of his cadets. When Captain Prower threw his higher-ranking officer a searching look General D'Coolette frowned slightly.

'Do not be asking capteen..' The coyote raised a hand and clapped his second in command on the shoulder before following his king back inside the palace.

'Alright, inspection over. Company dismissed!' Captain Prower sounded sharply and immediately the cadets moved out of formation to resume their daily assigned duties. Jules immediately moved towards his captain and the golden-fox turned to him.

'What was that about?' The cobalt hedgehog asked Amadeus curiously but the Captain of the Palace Guard shrugged with a slight frown.

'I'm not sure Hedgehog but for now just resume your duties..' Captain Prower responded as his sky blue eyes turned towards the open double doors and down the now empty entrance hall.

* * *

With the sun at its highest point Jules Hedgehog found himself a quiet spot high up on one of Hedgington Hall's rear garden walls to spend his lunch break. This particular part of wall he was lounging on was wide and flat with a little slope at forty-five degrees so he could soak up the warm summer sun while gazing around at the fantastic view of the rear palace gardens. It seemed to go on forever with it's freshly manicured lawns, huge hedge sculptures, tall well-groomed trees and maintained flower beds. This was only broken up by rock and water features which captured and reflected the suns rays bringing a sense of magic to the grand grounds. The cobalt-blue sixteen year old slouched with his long-quilled head resting comfortably in his gloved hands while one uniformed leg casually rested over the other. His eyes were shut as he relaxed, enjoying the warmth of the sun as it shone down onto him from above. It had been a busy morning for Jules as he was getting used to working inside the palace, quickly learning the layout and discovering some nifty shortcuts that were making his job easier. Though he didn't mind working inside as it presented him with a new set of challenges the cobalt hedgehog couldn't deny the fact that he preferred to be outdoors where he could utilize his speed with the sense of freedom that came from not having to be confined inside building walls. Still, every job had it's drawbacks..

He had not been lounging there for very long when the sound of female voices disturbed the quite serenity he'd been enjoying. Jules half-peeled open one warm hazel eye and glanced down the garden wall, curious to see who was disturbing his one moment of peace from his hectic work-schedule.

'I can't believe that Lord Denson tried make you his intended..' A familiar soft girl's voice was saying and as Jules sat up and glanced down. His second eye opened when a very recognisable red-furred echidna with white ribbons braided into her long quills appeared through the archway beneath the wall he was perched on top of. A flash of amazement was clear in the female echidna's familiar minty green eyes.

'Well believe it Lara-Le because I swear to Sauna that's the honest truth..' Jules' heart quivered as this regal-yet-sweet voice sounded, coming from the garden-archway beneath the wall he was lounging on.. _Bernadette__…_Unable to help himself the cobalt sixteen year old hedgehog lent over, curious to see if she was as pretty as he remembered her to be.

'So, when did this happen Aleena?' Lara-Le asked in an inquisitive tone, her eyes flashing curiously to her, for now, unseen best friend.

'Aleena?' Jules murmured softly as his brows knitted in confusion. Before he could truly comprehend the significance of the name the red-furred echidna was calling her 'Bernadette' walked into his sight and Jules was forced to clap his hand across his mouth to stifle the hitch in his breath. She was just as attractive as he remembered, maybe even more so in the pretty light turquoise and white dress balled out with petticoats. Sitting neatly in between her lilac pointed-ears was a silver tiara glinting in the sun.

'At the social gala last night..' The blonde-quilled hedgehog was saying to her friend. 'He cornered me out in the courtyard and said that we were a smart match, that he could provide me with everything I could ever dream of and how..' The lilac furred fifteen year old hedgehog suddenly scowled with annoyance as her furless pale hands went to her hips, her green eyes blazing. '-he had already sought out my _father_ and asked for my hand.'

'Holy Terra! Your kidding!' Lara-Le squealed out in amazement, her minty eyes widening in a manner that would have been comical if there conversation wasn't so shocking.

'No I'm not..' Aleena's sweet voice was no longer so sweet, there was a sharp bite in her tone now and it made Jules frown slightly in concern. Clearly she didn't like the fact that this bozo had gone behind her back..

'What did your father say?' The red-furred echidna asked, lifting the skirt of her pretty yellow dress that puffed out due to her petticoats and stepping over towards her friend.

'When I confronted him about it daddy said he didn't give his consent, he merely said that Lord Denson could 'try his luck'..' Aleena replied with a soft sigh of relief, although her father could be incredibly protective about her he also trusted her judgement and would never give her away to someone without knowing how she felt about them first.

'Your so lucky that your father is so understanding, princess.' Lara-Le replied as her expression softened with relief.

'_Princess?_' The word choked out of Jules' mouth and the moment he heard his strangled gasp aloud everything clicked into place. The sharp realisation of the truth of 'Bernadette's' real identity caused the cobalt-blue hedgehog to lean backwards as he recoiled in shock. Unfortunately in doing so Jules momentarily forgot he was actually still lounging on top of the garden wall and fell backwards off the other side.

'_Ahhh__…_' As the cry of surprise left the cobalt-blue hedgehog's mouth it caused both Princess Aleena and Lara-Le to swivel their heads around in shock. They were just in time to hear a rustling crash and a muffled grunt of pain.

'What was that?' Lara-Le asked in a worried tone.

'I dunno, but let's find out..' The lilac-furred royal replied. She moved towards the arch only to be snagged by Lara-Le. The red-furred echidna with braided quills flashed her a worried look.

'Shouldn't we call the guards?' Lara-Le asked in a slightly timid tone.

'Not yet..' The princess responded before pulling her arm out of her friend's grip and heading through the arch to investigate the source of the noise. 'Oh my!' Princess Aleena's voice suddenly cried out in surprise from the other side and immediately Lara-Le ran through the arch to see what was wrong. When her minty eyes saw what her royal companion was seeing she too gasped in amazement. She'd arrived just in time to see a Mobian dressed in a Royal Guard uniform pull himself free from the large hedge that had been growing against the opposite side of the garden wall. When this stranger straightened the two upper-class girls instantly recognised the bright cobalt-blue curved quills and quiff of soft messy quills flopping over his forehead.

'Ah, _Chaos_..' The teenage hedgehog in uniform cursed as he straightened his red cravat and pulled bits of twig loose from his clothing. His hazel eyes then widened in shock as he suddenly spotted the two fifteen year old Mobian-girls gazing wide-eyed at him.

'Jules..' Princess Aleena squinted her emerald green eyes towards him before her expression seemed to lift at recognising him. Her heart fluttered inside her chest at the sight of his handsome face again, she'd always wondered if she'd see him again and now here he was.

'Bernadette..' Jules responded with a slightly cool edge to his tone as he straightened out his navy shirt-jacket. '-or is it Princess Aleena?' There was a hint of hurt in his voice as he addressed her. His brow kinked and his eyes narrowed towards the royal hedgehog.

'Jules, please. I'm sorry you had to find out this way..' The lilac-furred hedgehog with long blonde quills began, moving forward to the sixteen year old hedgehog before her but the cobalt-blue male rebuffed her hand when she went to touch him.

'Yeh? Well so am I..' He voice remained as cool as his expression but his hazel eyes revealed his hurt about her lie. Jules folded his arms across his chest, creating a barrier between himself and the princess before him.

'I only did it to protect my identity, you have to believe me..' Princess Aleena responded instantly a desperate plea lacing her voice as her chest seemed to tighten, her bright green eyes very close to watering.

'You could've told me when we were alone!' Jules sounded irritably, his eyes closing and his head turning away from her. His mouth was set in a sombre line of displeasure as he kept his arms folded.

'I wanted to, really I did but..' The lilac female hedgehog sighed heavily as she raised a furless dainty hand to her head momentarily. '-I wasn't sure if we'd ever see each other again..' She concluded in a soft, sad voice.

'_Humph_..' The cobalt teen sniffed before his hazel eyes opened and looked back at her, hurt and betrayal still shining clear in his face. 'Well here we are now princess..' He made this statement in an unemotional tone and the lilac hedgehog faltered, unsure of how to respond to it. At this moment the distant sound of the large Mobotroplis Clock Tower chimed, signalling that it was now one o'clock. This caused Jules to unfold his arms and sigh heavily.

'If you'll excuse me, I have to get back to work..' He sounded before making a small bow to the princess then disappearing out of sight in a blur of blue, leaving the two Mobian-girls alone once more..

* * *

For the rest of that afternoon Jules Hedgehog weighed heavily on Princess Aleena's mind. She couldn't really focus on anything other than the sheer look of hurt and betrayal that had been written all over his handsome features. The lilac hedgehog had spent all afternoon worrying about him and wondering if he'd ever want to speak to her again. She had thought about asking General D'Coolette where Jules was stationed in his duties today but had decided against that. The cobalt-blue hedgehog would need some space to get his head around the truth… besides, she really didn't want to have to explain to her father's oldest friend why she wanted to see the cobalt-youth in the first place.. Lara-Le had tried convincing her friend that everything would be alright once he'd had time to digest the truth.. after all she had not really lied to him, merely bent the truth a little in order to protect herself.

The two Mobian-girls had been left to their own devices for most of the afternoon as their parents had been in the throne room discussing business from Albion. The princess had only a couple of classes that afternoon and her father had cleverly conferred with Lara-Le's parents and arranged them while the young echidna was studying hers so the girls would not be separated for long. The princess remained distracted throughout her lessons, worrying over whether or not Jules would forgive her for lying to him. She was grateful when she found herself excused by her frustrated tutor who had finally given up trying to get her to focus. After their lessons the girls were summoned to dinner in the grand dining hall to eat with their parents. While the others at the enormous long table ate the blonde-quilled hedgehog merely pushed her food around her plate, still picturing the look of hurt that had been on the cobalt male hedgehog's face that seemed to have burned itself into her mind.

After dinner the echidnas from the House of Arian left for their home on Emerald Avenue and with time to spare before she would be called in to retire for the night Princess Aleena began wandering the grounds. The skies were still light but the sun had now shifted as it was lowering to the horizon causing dark shadows to mar the beautifully tended landscape. The lilac-furred hedgehog wandered along the light sandstone walkway wondering what Jules was doing now. His shift with the Royal Guard would have finished an hour ago and with his speed he would've been long gone by now. Still, she wished she could talk to him and explain herself fully, maybe then the hollow pit of guilt in her stomach that had been eating away at her would go away..

As the lilac female hedgehog turned the corner, heading towards the archway where Jules had fallen, literally, back into her life. She was happy to see him again but he had brought with him that same strange mix of feelings that had hit her when they'd first met back in the club. Her thoughts were completely untangled when the sound of a guitar strumming caught her attention. The melody it was playing was a gentle, languid tune which was both serene and beautiful yet one in a style of music she had never heard before. Curious about where this music was coming from the blonde-quilled princess moved as swiftly as she could in her expensive heels through the archway. Upon reaching the other side she immediately stopped and with a sharp intake of breath. The princess smiled as her emerald eyes saw a cobalt-blue hedgehog perched comfortably on the two foot boarder-wall separating the upper-gardens from the lower-grounds of the palace. Jules' eyes were closed and he was no longer in uniform he was wearing the same bright red vest with down-turned collar and brown combat-boots he'd been wearing when they first met. His messed up fringe of blue quills hung lazily as his fingers plucked the strings of the handsome maroon-coloured guitar with black neck and headstock that was sitting in his lap.

'Jules?' Princess Aleena's voice sounded in a breath of happiness and disbeleif. She couldn't believe he was here, right now. At the sound of her voice the sixteen year old cobalt-blue hedgehog stopped strumming and opened his hazel eyes then smiled at the blonde-quilled royal hedgehog before him.

'Hi..' Jules sounded as he straightened his guitar and turned, sliding down off of the wall and standing in front of her. His heart was pounding like jack-hammer and he gripped the neck of his guitar more securely feeling slightly nervous.

'You came back..' The lilac-furred female hedgehog spoke, her voice still sounded awed as she gazed up into his face with wonder.

'_Errr_, yeh..' The cobalt male hedgehog sounded as he lifted his hand and scratched the back of his pointed-ear awkwardly. 'Um.. I went home, got changed and grabbed a bite before I got this crazy notion that maybe we should talk. _So_.. I grabbed my guitar and rushed back here, hoping you'd show up.' He then flashed her a sheepish smile which revealed the chip on the right side of his tooth. Princess Aleena smiled sweetly at the cobalt teen in front of her, touched by his words, before her smile vanished and was replaced by a look of urgency.

'Jules, I am so sorry about not telling you who I was I was just..' She spoke desperately, wanting to convey how remorseful she was but before she could finish the cobalt hedgehog held up his free hand to stop her. He was smiling gently as he did so.

'You don't have to apologise princess. Like you said earlier, you were only protecting yourself, I get it.' Jules replied lightly before giving a slight sigh. 'And for what it's worth, I'm sorry for how I spoke to you earlier, heh, that was rude..'

'Incredibly, but I understand why so can we just call a truce?' Princess Aleena said with a hopeful smile and Jules smirked in amusement at her words.

'Yeh, I'd like that..' His smile widened and for a moment the two of them merely gazed at each other before the blonde-quilled hedgehog turned her gaze to the guitar he was still holding.

'So you play the guitar?' She asked conversationally and immediately Jules looked at down at the maroon guitar in his hand and his smile twisted fondly as he lifted it up and held it in both hands.

'Yeh. Been playing since I was a little hedgehoglet, kinda a hobby of mine..' The cobalt-blue hedgehog spoke lightly as his hazel eyes ran over his acoustic instrument. 'I bought this with the first pay-check I'd ever earned.'

'It's beautiful..' The royal hedgehog said gently before her emerald eyes returned to his handsome face. 'What kind of music do you play on it?' She asked sweetly and the cobalt male smiled back at her.

'All sorts, depends on my mood but mostly I just play what comes into my head.' Jules replied lightly and the lilac-furred female hedgehog blinked in surprise.

'You can make up your own music?' Princess Aleena gasped out impressed, she'd only ever played music from sheet. She'd never met anybody who was creative enough to write their own music, or at least play it.

'Sure, it's not that hard and sometimes I put lyrics to it, when I feel inspired to..' He grinned mischievously at her now, a twinkle in his warm hazel eyes.

'Really?' The lilac-furred princess smiled fondly at him. 'Would you ever consider playing something for me sometime?' She asked curiously, her heart fluttered in her chest at the idea of him strumming a tune just for her.

'Sure but maybe another time..' The cobalt-blue hedgehog sounded lightly before he pulled out the black shoulder-strap of his guitar and hooked the two ends onto the maroon body of his instrument. He then slipped it over his shoulder so the guitar was leaning along his cobalt back-quills. 'Can I ask you something, princess?'

'Only if you would please call me Aleena..' The blonde-quilled hedgehog replied gently, she didn't want him to refer to her in such a formal manner.

'Heh, when I'm off duty I'll bare that in mind.' Jules said gently.

'Your off duty now..' The lilac-furred hedgehog replied, her brows contracting as a playful smile tweaked her pink lips. Her words made the cobalt hedgehog chuckle lightly.

'Fair point Ali..' He said with a smirk and the princess' bright green eyes widened momentarily at this new nickname before a pleased smile curved her pink-painted lips. This time she accepted his affectionate shortening of her name without questioning it.

'So, you wanted to ask me something?' Princess Aleena enquired sweetly.

'Yeh. Why don't we walk and talk as it's such a nice night..' Jules suggested before holding out his arm to her politely. Princess Aleena nodded brightly looping her arm into his and resting her dainty fingers onto his forearm..

'So what do you want to know?' The lilac female asked as the two hedgehogs began walking arm in arm down the sandstone tiled pathway, descending the steps to the lower grounds. The sun was just beginning to set, shining it's dimming golden rays of light all over the surrounding landscape.

'Do you know anything about the missing prince?' Jules asked her curiously and immediately the princess' eyes turned back to him from the grounds.

'Prince Theodore? Why do you want to know about him?' The lilac-furred hedgehog blinked inquisitively up at the cobalt-blue male.

'Theodore?' Jules blinked in shock, his middle name was linked to royalty just like his brother's, this couldn't be a coincidence. 'That was his name?'

'Yes, that's right..' Princess Aleena replied with a slight smile. 'He was the younger brother of Prince Elias who was-'

'-the prince who was shot by an Overlander.' Jules concluded for her causing Princess Aleena to throw him a questioning look. 'I read the Tales of Kirby as the hedgehoglet.'

'Me too!' The blonde-quilled female hedgehog smiled widely. 'Well, Theodore was Elias' younger brother and they had a little sister named Sophia..' As they walked onwards Princess Aleena began to tell Jules everything that she knew about the missing Prince of Mobius..

* * *

'And get this Charlie..' Jules Hedgehog was saying excitedly to his older brother as he swung around, pacing back across the dining-room/science-lab while Charles was packing a few binders away into a large box. '-when Prince Elias was shot his brother Theodore was consumed with grief. He was so distraught that he couldn't handle the guilty burden of becoming the next heir.. So Prince Theodore fled from the palace and was never heard from again. This meant that it was left to Princess Sophia to carry on the family line which is why the royal surname changed from Hedgehog to Hedgington as she was only coroneted after her marriage.'

'Yes, I know this Jules..' The mild-blue hedgehog sighed heavily and paused from packing away his items to glance at his little brother. 'She was known as the Queen Sophia the Sorrowful because she lived in perpetual mourning of the two brothers she had lost before leaving her throne to her only son. What's your point?' Charles scratched one of his bushy blue eyebrows absent-mindedly as he lent back in his seat, giving his little brother his undivided attention.

'Well, at cadet inspection this morning I found out that the king thought our surname of 'Hedgehog' had died out years ago.. _Then_, when he asked me for my middle name he mentioned the missing prince to General D'Coolette and they both began whispering while staring at me. Coincidence? I think _not!_' Jules swivelled back towards the dining-room table and slammed his hands on it, leaning across to his brother.

'Your reaching..' Charles responded, his pale-blue eyes narrowing with a small hint of amusement as he knew he was repeating the exact same words to his little brother as he had once said to him back when he wanted to check out their family's past. Jules' hazel eyes scowled back with slight irritation, he too recognised the irony behind his brother's words but he did not see the funny side.

'Am I?' The cobalt-blue sixteen year old hedgehog asked in a frustrated tone. His older brother rarely took his theories seriously, probably something to do with the fact that he wasn't nearly as smart as Charles. 'You don't even think that there is the _chance_ that we could, however distantly, be related to Prince Theodore?' Jules kinked a brow at his older brother. 'I mean, we don't even know that much about our family history..'

'Exactly.' Charles replied with a slight wave of his hand to emphasis his point. 'And we can't prove that we have any solid connection to this prince because the inhabitants of Knothole weren't included in the Mobius Census until the settlers were discovered around the time of our great-great grandfather Charleston Hedgehog, remember?' The mild-blue hedgehog sounded as he folded his arms and slouched back in his seat. He admired his little brother's conviction but the mild-blue older hedgehog was a mobian of science, without a solid census there was no way of proving that they really were descendants of Prince Theodore. Unlike his brother Jules who was completely open-minded, Charles had never believed that the Tales of Kirby were real stories from the past but merely facts that had been twisted for entertainment and had no creditable value in these times.

'I know, I know..' Jules sighed heavily, pulling away with an exasperated sigh as his brother's inability to open his mind further than logic would allow aggravated him immensely. '-but can't you just admit that there is a _small_ possibility that we could be his descendants, I mean there is nothing to prove we _aren__'__t_, right?' The cobalt-blue sixteen year old flashed his brother a smug grin, knowing the older hedgehog couldn't argue with his logic.

'Alright. _Fine_..' Charles raised both his hands in defeat at his brother's words. '-I can't argue with you there little brother.' He then sighed heavily and shook his head roughly. It was rare for Jules to win an argument, usually the cobalt-blue hedgehog would storm off in a mood if he knew he wasn't going to win against his brother. That way Charles wouldn't be able to beat him down with his vast intelligence. Immediately the older hedgehog began to resume packing things into the box he had set on the dining room table.

'So, what are you doing?' Jules sounded curiously, deciding to bypass his usual moment of gloating about outsmarting his genius brother as the fact that what Charles was doing right now looked a little unusual. For some reason this room was starting to resemble a dining room again.

'Packing away some things..' The mild-blue hedgehog replied vaguely.

'What for? You not need them anymore?' Jules smirked with amusement and his words caused Charles to sigh and pause from packing away some of his stationary supplies.

'Um, listen Jules..' The mild-blue twenty year old hedgehog turned slowly back to his little brother with a uneasy look. 'I've been meaning to talk to you about this but..' The older Hedgehog brother's pale-blue eyes looked sad.

'But what?' Jules threw his brother a searching look.

'My grant money came through..' Charles said seriously. '-and we both know that this place neither has the space nor the facilities I need to be able to advance my research.' The cobalt-blue younger brother was silent for a moment as his hazel eyes turned to the ground, contemplating his older sibling's words. Jules knew what his brother was hinting at and after a moment of letting it sink in he pulled his eyes back to his brother's face.

'_So_… your moving out.' The cobalt-blue hedgehog sounded, feeling his heart congeal a little as the words was said out loud. Jules wasn't sure he was ready to be parted from his brother but he was in no position to stop him..

'Not yet I'm not.' Charles replied. 'I've only recently started viewing potential studio-labs in Mobotroplis.'

'I see..' The cobalt hedgehog said, placing his hands on his hips.

'We always knew this day would come Jules..' The mild-blue older hedgehog sounded.

'I know..' Jules responded gently. '-I didn't think it would be happening so soon, that's all.' Charles smirked slightly at his little brother's words.

'Well, I'm not moving out just yet, so your gonna have to put up with me for a little bit longer.' The mild-blue twenty year old hedgehog said lightly.

'Good, cause I'm not ready for you to leave just yet.' Jules grinned widely as he slipped an arm around his slightly shorter, older brother's shoulders. 'Having said that. When you do find a place I will be right there to help you shift your stuff.' Charles smiled at his brother.

'Thanks, but you know I would've roped you into it anyway, right?' The mild-blue hedgehog said lightly.

'Yup, that's why I'm getting in on the ground floor and offering now..' Jules responded with a wide smirk back.

* * *

_Little Notes:_

_Hey everybody! I do hope you all are enjoying this fic, I'm still not one-hundred percent on how everybody is taking this fic as it's hard to gauge with only a few people reviewing but going by the steady rise in view-figures I'm assuming it's going well… I understand parent-fics aren't too popular in this section but I'm grateful to all who have taken the time to review, favourite and alert this… it means a lot!_

_Ok, a bit more on the past of the royal hedgehog family in this chapter and for those who are familiar with the Archie back-story of the Mobian/Overlander struggle will notice that although some parts will be similar they are two completely different storylines so there will be major differences to both past events and events to come._

_Until next time…_

_~Ditzy x_


	9. Moving Out And Moving On

**A Tale of Two Brothers**

_Hey Peeps, I don't own anything related to Sonic or his universe, that's SEGA and all other companies relevant to the creation of his various back-stories, and even though most of them have tanked it now that is beside the point. Honestly, I actually own very little in this fic (next to nothing to be exact) but this is __my__ story and even though I am using characters from Archie, DiC and SEGA I will be fleshing many of them out because they were only 2-dimensional so in some ways they will appear very OC hopefully you'll bear with me! Anyway, I've bored you to tears with this disclaimer so enjoy and let me know what you think! X_

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**Review Replies:**

**Slayer 666: Awww, I'm touched that your proud hun, that means a lot. I'm just glad that somebody is brave enough to leave a review and give me some kind of feedback! As for the ending of this fic; I've not quite figured everything out yet. I'm just sort of playing it piece by piece, I only have a basic storyline. I find it hard to stick to a rigid story plan so this is way easier for me. And if something just springs to mind I can add it in without having to completely rethink my story structure. X**

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**Chapter Nine:****Moving Out And Moving On**

'Wow Charlie, this place is huge!' Jules declared in a mixture of surprise and appreciation. His warm hazel eyes travelled around the huge studio-lab his brother had brought him to. They were in downtown Mobotroplis where he had met his brother after his morning half of his shift for the Royal Guard. It was a massive open plan space with a fitted kitchen built into a square alcove at the far end, there was also a bathroom with a door close by but other than the rest was just open space. There was no bedroom, no living room or any other kind of recreation room attached, nowhere for Charles to go to get away from his work.

'It's perfect isn't it Jules?' The mild-blue hedgehog replied with a smile as his pale-blue eyes twinkled brightly.

'Yeh.' His almost seventeen year old younger brother drawled as he surveyed the place once more before his gaze returned to Charles. ''Cept there's no place for you to switch off.' Jules placed his hands on his hips throwing an reproachful look at his brother.

'When do I ever switch off?' Charles asked in a serious tone which made the almost seventeen year old hedgehog roll his eyes.

'It's not the point Charlie, where are you going to sleep?' Jules asked raising his brow to his brother curiously.

'We can fix a wall-bed up onto one of the walls. It'll fold away and save space. There's nothing to it.' The mild-blue hedgehog replied airily and his little cobalt brother seemed to think about this for a moment.

'That's actually a good idea; at least you won't be falling asleep at your work-desk for a change.' Jules grinned back, flashing the chip in his tooth. Charles studied his brother's smile which didn't quite cover the slight twinge of sorrow in his hazel eyes.

'You're going to miss tucking me up to sleep, aren't you?' The elder Hedgehog brother asked with a small knowing smile, though it was more of a statement than an actual question.

'_Pffft…_' Jules snorted with amusement as he waved his left hand dismissively. 'Yeh right, I'm not gonna miss that but I am gonna miss you Charlie.' The cobalt hedgehog sighed heavily before slumping against the wall, flattening his back-quills as he did so. 'I still can't believe your moving out. It's a lot to process, especially since dad's death.' When his hazel eyes looked across to his brother there was a little lost hedgehog in them. Charles' expression suddenly softened. Apparently his little brother was still bothered by their father's unfortunate departure. The mild-blue older hedgehog had had more time to accept the reality of Maurice's life-threatening illness at the time as Charles shielded his little brother from the truth until all hope was lost, but perhaps he had waited too long..

'You're still angry at him aren't you?' The twenty year old Hedgehog brother asked gently, not wishing to insight an argument but merely understand why his little sibling was having so much difficulty letting him go.

'What does it matter? He's dead now.' Jules suddenly scowled, folding his arms. 'Besides, in his eyes I was a just a screw up anyway.' Immediately Charles closed his eyes, suddenly understanding the problem. Jules thought their father had been disappointed in him.

'Jules.. Dad never thought you were a 'screw up'.' The mild-blue hedgehog replied causing the nearly seventeen year old hedgehog to throw him a confused frown. 'He just thought you lacked focus and direction, that's all.'

'So that's his excuse for being a quill-buster?' The cobalt-blue teenager sounded in peeved tone, his bottom lip jutting out petulantly.

'He was only strict with you because he was worried about your future and didn't know how to get through to you.' Charles sounded trying to be sympathetic but a slight hint of frustration at his brother's stubbornness escaped with it. 'You can be pretty spine-headed when you want to be.'

'I hear it's a family trait.' Jules responded with a momentary smirk of his own before his pessimistic brooding look returned.

'Yeh, it is.' Charles replied gently. 'And you're not a screw up Jules; you have direction in your life now.'

'I guess.' The cobalt-blue younger Hedgehog brother sighed heavily but before Charles could say anything Jules swiftly changed the subject, just like he always did before they could talk about his inner-feelings. 'So... You're right in the middle of town.' The cobalt-blue hedgehog smiled as he wandered over to the large window and gazed out onto the rest of Fountain Square outside. In the centre of the large square of green grass was an ancient stone water-fountain which was covered in creeping ivy and shrubbery that still poured out crystal clear waters. Around the large square of asphalt road surrounding it was the rest of the shops and studio flats of the metropolitan-court.

'Not a bad view.' Jules sounded lightly as he turned back into the room. 'Not a patch on Knothole though but still, not bad.'

'It's covenant too.' Charles added with a smile, deciding not to push his brother into talking if he didn't want to. 'The Mobian Council building is just down that road along with the city's library-' He pointed to the east-facing turn off before his white-gloved index finger swivelled to the west-facing road opposite. '-and the university is down that way along with the scrapyard where I can salvage some parts that'll help me with research. And all other amenities are right on my doorstep.' The mild-blue hedgehog smiled at his brother. 'I'll be ok, I have everything I need right here and something tells me that even though I'm moving out my little brother will still be pestering me on a daily basis.' The cobalt-blue teenage hedgehog flashed his brother a mischievous smile, revealing his chip again.

'Your darn right he will, you're not getting off the hook that easily bro!' Jules laughed freely, the warmth that had been lost in his eyes returning instantly. 'When do you sign the papers?'

'I'll sign them as soon as we're done here. I didn't want to make anything official until I ran this place by you.' Charles replied lightly, leaning on one hip.

'Well.. you've run it by me and I approve, so let's get down to the Council building and sign the paperwork so we can get this move on the road, what do you say Charlie?' Jules grinned, moving back across the room to his brother's side, his eyes narrowing keenly as he rubbed his hands together.

'Alright then.. Let's do it!' Charles sounded brightly and immediately the two brothers left out the main door to the studio-lab..

* * *

'Are you sure you guys don't need a hand with that?' Charles Hedgehog asked in a concerned tone as he watched his work-bench being unloaded from the removal truck that Sherman Walrus had borrowed from his uncle Terry. Inside the cargo-bed of the truck Jules and Tiger where negotiating the workbench out.

'Nah, it's ok Chuck we got it.' The white-furred tiger-Mobian with silver-stripes replied airily as the two best friends finally pulled the workbench free from the truck and began walking with it towards the studio-lab.

'See, nothing to it bro!' Jules declared brightly, following his best friend as Tiger guided him inside. 'But if you wanna be helpful, grab one of those lighter boxes and get your rear in here and tell the monkeys where you want your stuff, kay?' The cobalt-blue hedgehog winked at his older brother before finding himself yanked in the direction of the studio-lab by Tiger Stripes.

'Come on slow-poke, this stuff isn't gonna arrange itself.'

'Hey! The only 'slow-poke' around here is you Tig.' The cobalt-blue hedgehog smirked then jolted the workbench violently and his best friend struggled to keep a grip on the bench.

'Careful Juice!' Tiger responded with a slight yelp of shock. 'I nearly dropped that.'

'Well keep your mind on the job instead of insulting me, idiot!' Jules sounded in a mocking tone.

'_Ohh!_ Who's insulting who now?' Tiger grinned widely, a devilish look twinkling in his grey eyes as he surveyed his best friend. This had been the first time that all four best friends had been off together and although they were only helping Charles shift his belongings from Knothole to his studio-lab in Mobotroplis it felt nice to have most of the old gang together again.

'Alright guys break it up.' Sherman sounded lightly as he appeared around the corner carrying a heavy box of metal parts. 'We've gotta job to do, remember?'

'Yeh, save the arguing for later fellas.' Lionel added as he appeared pushing a large tool-cabinet with wheels, shaking his head lightly at the two ring-leaders of their group. They may have spent weeks apart but seeing both Jules and Tiger throwing the old tease-sparring back and forth to each other proved that nothing had really changed between them. They still liked rough-housing each other like in the good old days. Quickly realising that they were holding up the moving-in traffic Jules and Tiger moved the desk into the large studio-lab, getting out of the way of the others as they entered with they're various things from the truck outside.

'Yo, Charlie-Boy!' Jules called out as his older brother appeared with a couple of his suitcases and placed them down near the kitchen alcove. 'Where do you want this thing?' The cobalt-blue hedgehog asked throwing the older mild-blue hedgehog a curious look.

'Over by the window, if you guys don't mind.' Charles replied with a smile.

'Can do Chuck.' Tiger responded with a crooked smirk and immediately he and Jules picked up the workbench and manoeuvred it into place.

'Sherman, just put that box of parts by the tool-cabinet for now I'll find a home for it later.' Charles sounded lightly as he began unpacking his clothes into a chest of drawers that they had already brought inside.

'Righto Chuck.' The navy-skinned walrus-Mobian smiled kindly before dropping off the box. 'That's everything's out the truck now so if you guys don't mind, I'm gonna scoot off and hand it back to my uncle.' Sherman added with a smile.

'No worries bud.' Jules winked and threw a 'thumbs up' towards his best friend.

'You better not be ducking out on us S-Man..' Tiger sounded with a kink of the eyebrow. 'Ow.' He then uttered as his cobalt best friend punched him in the arm with a slight scowl.

'Relax Tig; my uncle's removal firm is just round the corner on Palace Way.' The walrus replied lightly. He pulled out the trucks keys from one of the pockets in his work-belt and twirled it round his fingers.

'You better be quick then Sherman.' Lionel sounded cheerily as he began putting Charles' tools away in the tool-cabinet in the precise order he knew mild-blue hedgehog liked them in. 'If you're not Tig'll be a one-mobian search party.' The blonde lion flashed a mischievous look towards his white and silver-stripped best friend. The Mobian-tiger was wearing a solemn look while his arms were folded across his chest in a 'you bet you mobiums I'll be coming to find you' expression.

'Yeh, yeh, I know what Tig's like. Be back in a few..' Sherman drawled before turning away and heading out the door.

'Hey!' Jules called out moving swiftly to the doorway with a slight scowl. 'That's my line.' He threw back at his best friend but the large navy-skinned walrus merely waved him off with a smirk.

'Deal with him when he gets back Jules-' Charles sounded as he finished off packing away his clothes, with the exception of his lab coats which were laying on top of it. '-right now, I could use a hand fixing up my new wall-bed.' The mild-blue hedgehog gestured to the huge flat-pack box that took up most of the wall beside the cobalt teenage hedgehog. Jules' warm hazel eyes glanced around to it before he grinned widely, swiping up a hand-held power-stone-motorized-screwdriver/drill and lightly pressed on the button a couple of times causing the charged-tool to buzz twice.

'Let's do it to it guys.' The cobalt hedgehog then whipped out the red military-style switch-blade out that he'd inherited from his deceased father and sliced down the package tape of the large box. Jules pulled open the side flaps before whipping out the instructions then tossed them to his older brother as Lionel and Tiger appeared beside him to help with the assembly..

* * *

'So Lionel..' Jules asked conversationally once he had finished drilling the holes for the wall brackets using a spirit-laser as a guide. 'How's it going with that librarian-tail you've been mooning after for the last two months?' The cobalt-blue hedgehog's voice was light as he hopped down to assist the blonde lion in lifting his side of the now fixed-up wall-mount that would soon hold the spring mechanism complete with bed-frame and mattress. Lionel's expression suddenly looked a bit embarrassed.

'Emma? He finally said in a slightly wary tone as both he and Jules heaved their side of the wall-bed frame up simultaneously with Tig and Charles, who were on the other side.

'Yeh, that's the one.' Jules drawled but before he could reiterate his question Tiger blinked stunned.

'Wait? What librarian-tail has Lionel been eyeing?' The white and silver-stripped Mobian-tiger looked confused. 'And why don't I know about this?'

'It's the curse of being stuck in the Mobian Army long-term bud.' The cobalt-blue hedgehog smirked widely.

'Yeh, but two months is a long time to be out of the loop.' Tig replied with a hint of sadness in his tone.

'Tiger, you've just got back from a reconnaissance mission in the badlands. You seriously didn't expect anything to change did you?' Charles asked with a casual brush of his moustache. 'Hold this steady would you?' The mild-blue hedgehog added lightly to the Mobian-tiger. Immediately Tiger supported the unfixed wall-bed frame as Jules began to change the drill-part to a screwdriver-part and pressed the 'on' button checking that the component was in correctly.

'I know. I just didn't think I'd be this out of touch with everyone..' Tiger drawled with a sigh.

'Oh c'mon, not everything's changed.' Lionel sounded as Jules hopped onto a swivel-chair and skidded over to the supported wall-bed, being held up by Lionel and Tig. The cobalt-blue hedgehog began to fix in the screws that would attach the wall-bed to the wall. Once it was firmly in place and not budging Jules hopped back down.

'I suppose.' Tiger drawled to the blonde-lion with a slight smirk. 'So how are things going with this Emma-chick then?' The Mobian-tiger asked then kicked a curious brow. At this point Sherman reappeared into the studio-lab and grinned widely.

'You talking about the girl from the collage library that Lionel's been crushing on for ages but is too shy to do anything about it?' The navy-skinned walrus asked, a twinkling his violet eyes. The blonde lion glared, still feeling the warm heat of embarrassment about the conversation topic.

'That's the one.' Jules grinned widely as he and Charles were now constructing the bed-frame for the wall-bed. 'Any progress on that bud?' The hedgehog asked curiously, still waiting for an answer. The other four looked curiously towards the blonde-lion who sighed.

'Not much..' Lionel responded. 'Emma's got a summer job working in the public library and I've been in to see her a few times and we're on friendly terms but..' He tailed off looking forlorn.

'But not as friendly as you'd like?' Jules smirked, kinking a brow contracted suggestively.

'Right, but-' Lionel rolled his blue eyes and folded his arms. '-every time I try to ask her out I clam up. I just can't get the words out.'

'I could give you some advice on talking to girls if you want?' Tiger offered and immediately the cobalt hedgehog and the navy-skinned walrus snickered in amusement.

'No offence Tiger-' Sherman drawled with a smirk. '-but I don't think Lionel wants to get inside her underwear.'

'Not yet anyway..' Jules added with a mischievous grin of his own and both he and Sherman burst into laughter. This earned the youngest Hedgehog brother a punch in the arm from his older sibling.

'Knock it off you two.' Charles sounded with slight disapproval at the way this conversation was turning. The cobalt-blue immediately returned to holding the bed-frame steady while the older hedgehog wound the adjustable wrench around, tightening the bolts on the metal folding frame.

'Here, let me give you guys a hand.' Sherman sounded, taking over from Jules and immediately beginning to work with Charles on the spring mechanism.

'I resent that.' Tiger frowned slightly as he folded his arms. 'I have you know that in the month and a half I've been dating Ginger I have never once tried to get inside her underwear.' He then pulled a cigar out of the breast pocket of his army jacket along with a lighter. 'Mind if I smoke?' He added to Charles.

'Yeh, go ahead but open a window before you light that thing.' The mild-blue hedgehog waved him off distractedly before returning his attention back to the bed-frame that he and Sherman were fixing to the wall-frame. Tiger moved to the window and opened it before lighting up the cigar and taking a few puffs, blowing the smoke out of the window.

'Out of fairness Tig, you've been knee-deep in Overlander-territory so you've not been able to spend enough time with Ginger to get her into bed..' Jules smirked before coughing as Tiger blew a ring of cigar smoke towards him in response. 'Quit it!' The cobalt-blue hedgehog wrinkled his nose and swished the smoke away with one hand. 'How is Ginger anyway? Have you spoken to her recently?' He asked curiously.

'Yeh, she's good, spoke to her this morning and I'm meeting up with her later on..' The white and silver-striped Mobian-tiger flashed his best friend a grin before sucking on his cigar once more. 'What about you Juice? You ever run into that high-class honey Bernadette again?' Tiger's silver eyes narrowed as his brows contracted suggestively. This made Jules' hazel eyes widened in shock. He had not expected to be asked about her, especially since he had recently discovered her true identity as the king's daughter.

'Who's Bernadette?' Charles' voice sounded intrigued from over by the soon-to-be wall-bed where the mild-blue hedgehog was fixing the bed-frame to the fold-away trapdoor. Lionel and Sherman were holding the metal frame steady as the hedgehog screwed them in with the power-stone-charged tool.

'Bernadette's this pretty upper-class girl that Jules was fawning over Gus' last night here.' Sherman answered with a playful smirk playing his muzzle.

'I wasn't 'fawning'.' The nearly seventeen year old hedgehog pulled a face at his best friend's teasing. 'I was being nice.'

'_Ah_, is that how you describe chivalry these days..' Lionel sounded with a slight smile, grateful that the focus was off of his dating problems and onto someone else's.

'Since when do you do chivalry?' Charles blinked as his turned off the charged-screwdriver and setting it aside, gazing at his little brother in further surprise.

'Since the hedgehog with silver-quills here saved the high-class damsel from a drunken lout..' Sherman replied before Jules could do anything but scowl in irritation at his three best friends.

'He wasn't a lout he was a lynx.' The cobalt-blue hedgehog sniffed with a petulant edge to his tone, his irritation obvious now. 'Besides, any decent Mobian would've done the same.' He shrugged off his 'heroic' deed in an offhanded manner.

'Hey, nobody's judging you Juice; we just wanna know if you've heard from her since.' Tig sounded soothingly as he took in the last drag of his cigar and stubbed the butt out. The other three looked questioningly towards the four foot cobalt-blue hedgehog. Jules' hazel eyes opened as he looked towards them before sighing heavily and caving to their curiosity.

'I saw her in passing at the palace a couple of weeks ago..' Deciding not to lie but embellish the truth lightly as Princess Aleena had asked him not to reveal her secret to his friends. '-we had a brief chat but that was it.'

'Did you ask her out?' Tig asked immediately and Jules threw him a confused look.

'What? No! We just exchanged pleasantries, that's all.' The nearly seventeen year old hedgehog responded instantly as a slight frown returning to his cobalt-furred brow. Tiger sighed heavily in response to this; his friend was neigh-on impossible sometimes. 'Bernadette' liked him; she'd clung to him all night and hung onto his every word. He was beginning to wonder if there was something more than their social differences holding Jules back from asking her out, he certainly had not been this reserved when he'd gone after Alicia Chipmunk. If Tiger remembered correctly Jules had just walked up to the red-headed Mobian-chipmunk and boldly told her where to meet him and to dress nice, Alice had only accepted out of curiosity and from then only they'd been a couple..

'So Tig..' Lionel decided to change the subject quickly before Tiger put his foot in it as Jules seemed rather tense about the subject of 'Bernadette'. '-you never did tell us why you were sent out on reconnaissance into Overlander-territory.'

'Well, there's been a rise in Overlander activity around the borderlines of the Kingdom of Mobius so reconnaissance teams were sent out to try and gather information on what these furless-beings are up to.' The Mobian-tiger said grimly.

'These activities wouldn't have anything to do with the recent border-skirmishes in East Mobius that have been the top story on the Mobius Network News, would they?' Charles asked curiously as he stood back from the newly put-together wall-bed as Sherman tested the spring-mechanism of the pull-down bed.

'That information was supposed to be classified but I guess it was only a matter of time before the press got hold of it.' The white-furred Mobian-tiger with silver stripes sighed heavily before continuing. 'And your right Chuck, that's the same conclusion the Minister of Mobian Defence; Warlord Kodos has come to.' Tiger replied seriously, folding his arms across his chest. 'We're trying to figure out why they're attacking us now and see if there's anything we can do to prevent another war from starting..'

'You really think it will come to war?' Lionel asked nervously. He had never been good with conflict and the idea of a war starting up was very unsettling, especially since there hadn't been a Mobian/Overlander conflict since the Crusades of King Arthur of Medieval Mobius.

'We hope not.' Sherman responded solemnly, moving away from the finished wall-bed. 'That's why the reconnaissance teams that Tig is involved with are so important. The more information we have the better chance we have of preventing these borderline attacks from turning into something more hostile.'

'This is the last thing we need.' Jules added with a slight frown. 'General D'Coolette has already tightened security in and around the palace. He has us checking in with Captain Prower on a regular basis and performing mandatory 'sweeps' of the grounds and palace-floors.' The cobalt-blue hedgehog sighed lightly before shoving his white-gloved hands in the pockets of his bright red vest. 'If a war broke out he'd be forced to step up the personal security of both King Ogilvie the Third and his daughter Princess Aleena, something he is very lenient with at the moment due to his respect for their privacy.'

'Yeh, I figured these skirmishes would affect you guys too.' Tiger responded with a nod of understanding. 'Things are becoming tense and these minor attacks are a high priority with both the king and his Council of Mobian Ministers. King Ogilvie's going to really be relying on Warlord Kodos to try and find a peaceful end to this dispute.'

'Is Kodos really the right mobian for the job though?' Charles asked with slight concern, his bushy blue eyebrows rising with incredulity at this idea. 'I mean it's no secret that he isn't the most eloquent minister on the council cabinet and he does have a nasty temper when provoked.' The twenty year-old mild-blue hedgehog couldn't hide the look of worry in his eyes.

'Time will only tell Chuck.' Sherman responded in a quiet but serious voice, he too seemed to share the older mobian's fear that Warlord Kodos might not be up to the task.

* * *

It had only been nine days since Charles Hedgehog had moved into his new studio-lab in downtown Mobotroplis but he had settled in quickly and was enjoying life in the city. Although he did miss the peace and serenity that the quiet hamlet of Knothole offered he could not deny that having easy access to resources meant that his research could move forward more swiftly. The mild-blue hedgehog scratched his forehead in-between his bushy brows and blue-pointed ears as he gazed down at the sheet of paper. After a moment of frowning he picking up his rubber-tipped pencil and used the eraser to rub out the sentence in his design brief that was irritating him. Around him lay several books, checked out from Mobotroplis Public Library, which had bookmarks sticking out of them at pages relevant to his research. These books were ones which were on both medical science and robotic engineering. To the untrained eye these books had very little to do with each other but Charles hoped that if his research was successful they could be used to bring in the next logical step in medical care.

The mild-blue hedgehog tapped his pencil off the work-bench in an irritable drum as he tried to think of a way to reword his sentence to better convey his hypothesis. Unfortunately nothing was coming to mind. His pale-blue eyes scanned the books he'd borrowed until he found one entitled; _Prosthetic and Bionic Enhancements_. He then picked it up and opened the page to where he had previously marked it and began reading the words on it again. As his eyes concentrated on the book Charles extended out a free hand towards the little red radio beside him and turned the dial so the room filled with noise.

'_..The border-skirmishes on Efrika of East Mobius continue as the Overlanders carry on their relentless raids of Mobigypt and Tashistan from the Esrial Taza point. The Mobian Army, which was swiftly dispatched to the scene, has successfully relocated most of the refugee-survivors. It has been speculated that the Overlanders are using highly advanced weaponry created for mass destruction. The devastation left behind the attacks is shocking; such destruction has not been seen in Mobius since our last war with the Overlanders at the turn of the last century. In a press conference earlier today Warlord Kodos was asked whether or not a peaceful resolution can be found and if it's true that the Overlanders are really in possession of weaponry capable of mass destruction?..'_

As the voice on the radio switched to the gruff voice of the Minister of Mobian Defence the mild-blue hedgehog, who was no longer paying attention to his brief, turned his eyes towards the little red radio.

'_..I can't say for sure whether or not the Overlanders really have weapons of mass destruction but from what the soldiers and I have witnessed out on the fields we are not ruling anything out. We are still trying to negotiate something out with the Overlander Overlords but so far our attempts to find a peaceful resolution to these skirmishes have been unsuccessful. And as for whether or not we could fight against the Overlanders' weapons, they aren't the only race who has advanced over the decades. We have too! And like those brave Mobians before us we will not back down in the face of adversity, we will stand tall and proud…'_

'Was that an answer or a 'preparation for battle' speech?' The very familiar sound of his little brother's voice made Charles whip around to see Jules wander in with a carrier bag which he promptly dumped on the breakfast nook by the kitchen alcove. The nearly seventeen year old hedgehog then wandered over to his older brother with a relaxed smile.

'It's a little of both, I think.' Charles sounded before his expression turned curious. 'So what's in the bag?' He glanced at the carrier bag his brother had dumped.

'Huh?' Jules casually glanced back towards the bag before his hazel eyes returned to his brother. 'Oh. It's just a few food supplies I figured you might need. Y'know, so you don't starve..' The cobalt-blue hedgehog smirked.

'Heh, heh, I'm not going to starve but thanks for your concern Jules.' Charles chuckled lightly.

'_..In mayoral-election news; with voting day fast approaching both our candidates are battling fiercely for the support of constituents. The campaign has been incredible this year as young Acorn proves himself a worthy contender against 'Slick Whiny'. With the voting trends almost neck and neck this is still anyone's game-' _The little red radio was still issuing the news bulletins in the background of the Hedgehog brothers.

'So, have you made plans for your birthday?' Charles asked his little sibling, the bulletin reminding the eldest brother that the date Jules turned seventeen was just around the corner.

'Well, since you no longer live at home, this year I thought I'd invite the whole crew up to Knothole to stay over. I figured we could skinny-dip in the lake, pitch a few tents, get drunk by a campfire, play some music, make a real night of it…' The cobalt teenage hedgehog's eyes narrowed as his pupils seemed to wander off into a daydream about how great this idea of his was. In response to his little brother's words Charles smiled lightly.

'Sounds like one Chaos of a way to celebrate a birthday.' The mild-blue hedgehog said cheerfully as he extended his hand and turned off the radio as it returned to its usual programme.

'Well why don't you come too, Charlie?' Jules offered immediately with a wide smile that revealed the chip on his first right-side premolar.

'_Nah_… you have fun with your friends Jules. I need to stay here and work on the hypothesis of my latest idea, if I'm right about this it could change the path of medical science forever.' The mild-blue hedgehog exclaimed brightly, sounding as if he were almost finished with the design spec even though he was struggling to put it on paper.

'Are you sure Charlie?' The cobalt-blue teenager's hazel eyes narrowed as his low timbre tried to tempt his brother. 'It'll be _fun.._' Suddenly Jules' eyes widened in amazement as he clicked onto the one part of his brother's words that didn't make sense. '_Whoa_… back up a sec, did you say _medical_ _science?_' He threw his older brother a confused look.

'That's right little brother.' Charles replied with a light smile.

'But Charlie, your field of expertise is Robotic Engineering.' Jules responded with a hint of disbelief as he placed his white-gloved hands on his hips.

'I know that!' The mild-blue hedgehog sounded with a faint huff as he folded his arms. 'But if I can get this idea to work then I will make a huge leap in medical science using robotic engineering.'

'_Err…_' The cobalt-blue hedgehog rolled his eyes upwards as a gloved-hand emigrated from its position on his hip to scratch his clean, pubescent, quill-shaven muzzle thoughtfully. 'Alright, you got me Charlie, just how in the name of Terra are you gonna pull that off?' Jules' expression conveyed nothing but pure bemusement now, he was completely lost. Charles smirked widely at the lost look on his slightly dimmer little brother's face; this was nothing unusual for him to see when he was trying to explain something complex and scientific to Jules.

'Well, it's an idea I've been toying with for a few years now but it just won't die. What if there was a way to prolong the life expectancy of a Mobian by giving them new robotic parts?' The mild-blue hedgehog asked his brother seriously, his pale-blue eyes burning with wonder from behind the small round lenses of his reading spectacles.

'Uh, Charlie...' Jules responded in a monotonous voice as his picked up the book his elder sibling had been reading and carefully closed it keeping the bookmark in place. 'I hate to break it to you bro, but someone already beat ya to it.' He then turned the book's cover so the title was clear; _Prosthetic and Bionic Enhancements._

'I'm not talking about a single body part like an arm or a leg Jules.' Charles scoffed as he snatched back the book from his little sibling. 'I meant a full-on body transformation. Turning flesh and bone into metal and circuits.' At these words the younger cobalt hedgehog's eyes widened in a mixture of shock and incredulity.

'What? You want to turn Mobians into robots?' Jules finally managed to choke out, struggling to fully wrap his mind around this concept without feeling appalled by it.

'Only physically…' Charles replied with a hint of concern, not wanting his brother to get the wrong idea about the project. 'They would still have their free-will.'

'Charlie, that's like playing one of the gods!' The cobalt-blue hedgehog scowled deeply as he folded his arms.

'It's not, I promise! It's to help the elderly and mortally infirm extend their life expectancy.' The older mild-blue hedgehog tried to reason with his little brother but Jules sighed heavily and rolled his hazel eyes wearily.

'Mobians have to die Charles!' The cobalt hedgehog said in a cross tone of voice. 'It's nature! There's nothing you can do to stop it!'

'I know that Jules but what if people suffering a horrific disease had another option..' Charles sounded desperate for his little brother to understand and judging by the sudden look in his hazel eyes the cobalt hedgehog understood all too well.

'This is about dad, isn't it?' Jules suddenly declared loudly. 'You still blame yourself for his death, don't you?' The steely flash of irritation in the younger cobalt-blue hedgehog's face was evident now. He thought Charles had got passed this.

'Alright, maybe I do still feel a little responsible…' Charles put the book he was still holding in his lap and raised his hands momentary in defeat. '-but if this project actually works, it will stop another family from having to go through the same pain we did.' The mild-blue hedgehog added in a soft voice, the sorrowful expression on his face proving he was still hurting over their loss.

'Look...' The cobalt-blue hedgehog eventually spoke with slight sigh; he couldn't deny that their father's death still affected him too. '-if this is really what you wanna do bro, go ahead but just know something. I don't agree with this morally.' The younger Hedgehog brother's face was set in a solemn grimace.

'I understand Jules but this is something I have to do.' Charles responded gently with a faint nod towards his brother. There was nothing but silence as both Hedgehog brothers did not know what to say next. After struggling to think of something to say or do Jules pulled out his gold pocket-watch then checked the time.

'I gotta go get ready for my evening shift.' He finally muttered, breaking the awkward moment of silence that had spiralled between them. The cobalt hedgehog then clapped his older brother on the shoulder with an exhausted sigh. 'Take care of yourself Charlie-Boy...' And without another word he disappeared out of the door in a blur of blue.

* * *

The cobalt-blue hedgehog was only a few hours into his first evening shift on the Royal Guard as a fully-trained rookie cadet and he had been placed on Grounds Patrol which meant he'd be spending the majority of his shift outside. Even though this was his preferred choice Jules Hedgehog just couldn't keep his concentration focused on his job tonight. The way the cobalt teen had left things with his older brother before starting his late-shift at the palace had been weighing heavily on his mind causing it to drift with a mixture of guilt and worry. Jules felt bad about not being able to find some enthusiasm for his brother's latest 'project' but the whole idea of turning flesh into metal did not sit right with him. It just seemed so unnatural to him. He was stationed in the royal courtyard at the front of Hedgington Hall which looked out onto the long driveway down towards the golden gates and high stone walls separating the palace grounds from Mobotroplis. His hazel eyes turned upwards towards the stars that were just starting to poke out of the slightly darkened evening sky, hoping to find some clarity in the twinkling lights. The sun had just finished setting now and he would soon have to check in with Captain Prower and perform a palace perimeter sweep.

'Care to escort a lady inside my good sir?' A gentle voice sounded causing Jules to blink his warm hazel eyes in surprise at being addressed so formally and snap back to reality. His pupils immediately focused on the petit lilac-furred female hedgehog before him with blonde quills and smiling sweetly.

'_Oh!_ Princess.' The cobalt hedgehog suddenly flushed with slight embarrassment as a sheepish grin twisted its way onto his muzzle. He rubbed the cobalt-fur of his forehead just below his left pointed-ear as he tried to compose himself. After a moment he eventually managed to cough into his white-gloved hand and speak politely. 'My apologies your majesty.' Jules gave the royal hedgehog a bow in polite recognition of her presence. Princess Aleena only lifted a dainty, furless, pale-skinned hand and giggled behind it in a light girlish manner at him. Her wide green eyes closed momentarily in her amusement at his clumsy attempt at politeness. It was both delightful and adorable to see him trying to make such an effort for her.

'So… Are you going to escort me inside or not?' The lilac-furred princess asked the male hedgehog in Royal Guard attire before her. Both of her slender arms twisted around her back as her fingers clasped together, her long eyelashes fluttered with innocent charm as her emerald green eyes gazed up into his warm hazel eyes.

'What? Oh yes, of course my lady.' Jules responded with a smile, he kinked an arm out towards the royal hedgehog as his other swung around to the small of his back respectfully.

'Ooh, why thank you.' Princess Aleena sounded brightly and slipped her arm into his, holding onto his forearm gently and keeping him at a polite distance. 'Shall we?'

'One moment Princess, I must radio one of the fellas first and let them know I'm going off point.' Jules replied as his hand reappeared from behind his back and pulled the palm-sized oval radio out of his bright red utility-belt. 'Lone-Wolf this is Blue-Blur, do you read me?'

'Off point?' The lilac-skinned female hedgehog asked curiously.

'It means I'm leaving my post.' The cobalt-blue male hedgehog responded lightly.

'Oh…' Princess Aleena sounded with understanding.

'_This is Lone-Wolf, what's up Jules?' _The sound of Argus' voice came through the tiny radio in Jules' large white-gloved hand. The yellow-furred Mobian-wolf was on sentry duty in the battlements and was Jules' contact for grounds surveillance so the pair needed to keep in touch with their whereabouts at all times.

'Her ladyship has just returned from her evening stroll and has asked to be escorted back inside. I'm going off point.' Jules sounded in a bright and breezy voice down the radio, flashing the princess a wink as he referred to her as 'her ladyship'. Princess Aleena smiled sweetly as her fingers stroked his forearm absent-mindedly, her touch made the skin under his navy shirt-jacket tingle which Jules tried with difficulty to ignore.

'_Kay. Let me know when you're back on.' _Argus replied lightly, the tone in his voice suggested that he suspected nothing.

'Will do buddy.' Jules responded warmly then pocketed the radio then turned his eyes to the female hedgehog beside him and flashed a wide grin. 'Don't tell General D'Coolette that we talk so informally.' The cobalt hedgehog leaned in and added with a slightly quieter voice. 'We're kinda not supposed to.' He then tapped his long black nose lightly. Jules then began to guide the fifteen year-old princess up the steps and through the main doors of the palace.

'Don't worry; I won't say anything to him.' Princess Aleena responded with a light smile as they walked through the great hall towards the polished marble staircase leading towards the first floor. 'Your secret's safe with me.' Jules glanced around as they reached the top of the stairs and noticed that they were completely alone.

'Thanks Ali.' He uttered in a low voice and turning his head to her lilac pointed-ear in case somebody appeared in the hallway. Princess Aleena felt her heart flutter lightly as he used the affectionate shortening of her name, just like it always did when they were alone together. Since Jules had appeared back into her life nine days ago the blonde-quilled female hedgehog had made sure to speak to him every time she saw him. As a princess it was considered 'inappropriate' for her to forge any kind of relationship with a guard so it meant that the two of them had to keep their meetings brief and proper in the presence of others. But on those rare moments that they found themselves alone together all civility dropped and they went back to treating each other like mere friends instead. She smiled up towards him as her fingers slipped out of the link to his forearm, which was the proper way to escort a lady. Her dainty fingers travelled down Jules' arm as it relaxed from its hooked position by his chest. The moment her small hand crossed the threshold of his red-cuffed sleeve his larger fingers sprung to life and locked together with hers. Princess Aleena felt her insides give a pleasurable leap as he held her hand and for a moment she relished it.

'Come with me.' The princess suddenly gripped her cobalt guard's hand tightly and pulled him hard so Jules was forced to follow her down the hallway in the opposite direction of their intended destination.

'Ali, your rooms are that way!' The male hedgehog sounded in both confusion and slight panic, he couldn't afford to miss checking in with Captain Prower.

'I know but I want to show you something.' Princess Aleena said with an upward inflection of excitement in her polite but sweet voice. She gave no hint of a clue in her voice but continued to drag him along the corridor as she hurried along the hallway.

'Well… Ok, if you insist but can we make it quick?' Jules finally relented and allowed the royal hedgehog to pull him along without resistance, hoping whatever she wanted to show him wouldn't take too long so he could return to his duties.

'Don't worry Jules, you'll like this detour.' The royal hedgehog turned her blonde-quilled head to him fleetingly and in those seconds her emerald eyes lit up as they locked onto his hazel ones before her lilac-furred head turned back to watch where they were going. Someone without his gift of swift-vision would have missed that glint of pleasure in those pretty green eyes but not this cobalt-blue hedgehog. Jules' pupils dilated in that split-second her head turned back to the corridor in front and an absent-minded gormless smile tweaked his lips. The next second it vanished into a scowl as the cobalt-blue hedgehog mentally slapped himself and tried to bury his twittering, adolescent infatuation for the girl tugging him along. _She's a princess; you're a guard. Idiot! You can never be with her! She's destined to marry a lord or a duke. Someone of high society who can give her everything her heart desires and more! And that's…_

_Not…_

Jules exhaled softly at the home truths his mind was screaming out to him.

…_Me._

'Ok, we're here!' Princess Aleena's cheery voice brought Jules out of his funk and immediately the cobalt hedgehog's hazel eyes blinked. He found himself looking at an end in the hallway; she'd brought him to the end of the first floor. This had never made sense to the seventeen year old hedgehog. If Hedgington Hall was a conical-pyramid why didn't the first and second floors run in a circuit like the ground floor did.

'A dead end?' Jules sounded with scepticism as he kinked a brow at the royal hedgehog beside him who was smiling sweetly.

'Only to the untrained eye it is.' The lilac-furred female hedgehog tittered lightly, covering her mouth demurely as she did so. She composed herself quickly so he would not think she was laughing at him and reached up towards the right power-stone wall-light and pulled on it hard. Unlike the rest of the hallway lights this one was not fixed solidly to the wall; it moved down like a well-disguised lever. Once the princess had pulled it she stood back beside her cobalt partner and immediately the square wall-end swivelled around in a semi-circle, which had been cleverly hidden by the circular floor tiles of the palace flooring. As the wall swooped around so did Jules and Princess Aleena, who were standing in the middle of the semi-circular end-tile. Jules' hazel eyes widened in shock as he and the lilac-furred princess were swiftly spun around in a one-hundred and eighty degree spin only to find themselves looking at the stone-wall and wall-lights on the opposite side of the hall.

'_Whoa_…' The cobalt-blue hedgehog gasped as he turned away from the wall to see where exactly they were. He found himself standing in a wide spacious passageway. There were much fewer wall-lights in it, they were standing in one of only three spots of light he could see. The rest of the passageway was dark and gloomy. '-a secret passageway.' Jules couldn't help but stare around as the female hedgehog beside him smiled sweetly. He immediately turned to her and couldn't help but notice how the change in light made her look more beautiful. The contrast in light and shadow in their new surrounding meant her bright green eyes stood out more than ever. Immediately he quashed his stirrings, determined not to let it ruin the fragile friendship they had managed to forge in nine days.

'How did you find this place?' The cobalt hedgehog asked her in amazement.

'My father told me about it when I was a little hedgehoglet.' Princess Aleena replied lightly. 'It's only supposed to be used as a means of safe passage if the palace is ever attacked; but since there's been no real threat to Hedgington Hall in the last century it's just been abandoned.'

'This might change if we can't resolve things with the Overlanders.' Jules stated grimly in response to her words. The next moment the cobalt hedgehog felt Princess Aleena's gentle hand take hold of his and his head and quills turned to see her face looking suddenly serious.

'My father said that we must have faith and believe that there is a solution to be found. I trust him to find that answer, and since he is your king you should too.' There was a steely flash in her eye as she said this. As his daughter she was only defending her father, clearly believing that he would find some way to save Mobius.

'I do. I do. I'm just a little worried about the whole thing, y'know...' Jules held up his hands not wanting her to get the wrong idea. Immediately Princess Aleena's face softened, understanding how he felt. 'So will this passageway allow me to escort you back to your rooms?' He decided to change the subject away from both the skirmishes and her father before he really put his foot in it.

'_Yes_.' The lilac-furred hedgehog suddenly beamed widely. '_In fact_ one concealed opening appears out through the fireplace of my dressing room.'

'_Really?_' Jules drawled with a smirk. 'Well in that case milady, allow me to escort you back there.' He sounded and curled her arm around his. Princess Aleena giggled girlishly at his politeness and allowed him to guide her up the secret passageway…

… As the back of the fireplace to Princess Aleena's dressing room rolled back the lilac-furred princess was looking with concern at her cobalt-quilled guard.

'I'm sorry to hear that you and your brother had a disagreement, will everything be alright?' Her soft well-mannered voice said and Jules smiled gently back.

'_Ah_, it'll be fine Ali. I'll swing by his tomorrow and make sure everything's cool.' He responded casually, not wanting her to dwell on his problems. He then glanced around her fancy dressing room with its pale ornate furniture and huge walk in wardrobe with expensive dresses and accessories filling the shelves and hangers. 'Well, here we are princess.' He added, letting go of her arm once she was over the threshold of her room.

'Thank you for escorting me back Jules.' She said politely as a warm smile of affection curled her pink-painted lips.

'Anytime.' The cobalt-blue hedgehog replied then ran his white-gloved fingers through his quiff of loose blue quills. The small silence between them was suddenly broken by his tiny oval radio as the device sparked into life; stunning both hedgehog teenagers.

'_Blue Blur, this is Golden Foxtrot. Perform a perimeter sweep and report back immediately, do you copy me?'_ Jules sighed heavily at this before pulling out his radio, lifting it to his mouth and pressing the side button.

'Copy that sir.' The cobalt hedgehog replied seriously before pocketing the radio and smiling at the blonde-quilled princess. 'I gotta go Ali. Rest easy.'

'Do you need me to tell you where to go?' Princess Aleena asked in a concerned voice, not wanting him to get lost in of secret passageway.

'_Nah!_' Jules waved a hand dismissively. 'I'm a big hedgehog, I'll figure it out.' He smirked confidently towards her and the lilac-furred female smiled once more. 'Night princess..' He then turned away from her and Princess Aleena gripped the wall-light that would close the concealed entrance to the passageway.

'Good night Jules.' She sounded sweetly and as he vanished in a blur down the hallway she closed the hole in her fireplace with a gentle sigh.

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_Little Notes:_

_Hey peeps! Ok, this chapter title is both a hint to Charles moving out of Knothole (Jules' real reaction to this will be at the start of the next chap) and my slight frustration at how slow this is going. There really is nothing I can do, it needs to be this slow for this section to work out but there will be a little time jumping coming up soon so that I can move forwards, don't worry._

_Ok, a lot going on here with the introduction to the Overlander-skirmishes taking place. Like all wars this one will start slowly and I hope it's realistic, I've never written any kind of war in a fic before so this is completely new territory for me and I'm a little nervous. All Jules' friends are back and introducing another Minister of Mobian Defence; Warlord Kodos (taken from Archie of course), like the other characters I'm only using his bio as a guide and he will be slightly different. Most notable difference is that he is Minister of Mobian Defence instead of Minister of Military (which was a title used in SatAM and one that made no sense to me). Anyway, more on him later.._

_Ok, as you've probably guessed already, the idea Charles is just beginning to research now is indeed the Robotisizer. Jules' opinion on his brother's invention is never specifically stated, something I find very curious considering that (in Archie) he is the first Mobian to be its victim. It was also curious to me that he only went in while close to death and how Charles was so apologetic about putting him in it in the first place. Did this mean that a conscious Jules would have stopped him from doing it? Perhaps he never liked the invention in the first place. Considering how he's supposedly a more mature version of Sonic and his son can't stand the machine this seemed likely to me…_

_A real glimpse into Jules and Aleena now and you can sort of see what I mean already hen I said these two will be facing some tough obstacles. Already the separation in class is giving Jules doubts on his self-worth… poor guy._

_I am working on a picture to use as a cover for this fic as the one I have at the moment id related to my other works and has nothing to do with this at all! I will post it when it's ready!_

_Anyway, next chapter is all about mayoral-election day and Jules' birthday.._

_Until then guys!_

_~Ditzy Xx_

_P.S. I recently traded in my grubby old Windows XP notebook which had keys were falling off for a brand new one with Windows 7. It has a Microsoft Word 9 starter kit which I'm using and has waay better grammar and spell-check software so hopefully my grammar will have improved! X_


	10. Jules The Birthday-Hog!

**A Tale of Two Brothers**

_Hey Peeps, I don't own anything related to Sonic or his universe, that's SEGA and all other companies relevant to the creation of his various back-stories, and even though most of them have tanked it now that is beside the point. Honestly, I actually own very little in this fic (next to nothing to be exact) but this is __my__ story and even though I am using characters from Archie, DiC and SEGA I will be fleshing many of them out because they were only 2-dimensional so in some ways they will appear very OC hopefully you'll bear with me! Anyway, I've bored you to tears with this disclaimer so enjoy and let me know what you think! X_

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**Review Replies:**

**Nyx27Seth: Nice to see you're still following hun and enjoying the story. LoL how did I know that sex was going to be asked about? But I have a solution to solve this query once and for all! X**

**Slayer 666: Hey hun, I agree with you on the whole (and so does Jules) that Chuck's idea to invent the robotisizer was not his best idea but machinery is not inherently good or evil it's how it is used. And yeh, I imagine the guilt would be crippling. As for your ideas regarding Jules: what you suggested is basically the Archie backstory which I don't want to copy but you'll just have to wait and see what happens… I promise it's just as dramatic though! And yes, yes, I should've figured the sex argument would rear its ugly head again haha, I have devised a way to solve this argument once and for all! **

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_Attention: Because I've grown a little tired of the sex argument I'm going to let the public decide whether or not I should put an intimate scene with Jules and Aleena in. The poll can be found in my profile! This chapter is dedicated to anyone who votes! Do you want to see a scene or not… let me know now!_

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**Chapter Ten: ****Jules The Birthday-Hog!**

Jules Hedgehog found himself lazing high up in the branch of his favourite lounging tree, which just so happened to be around the back of his log-cabin home. It was the early afternoon of his birthday and the newly-turned seventeen year-old hedgehog was sprawled out on the wide branch of the ancient sycamore tree that had been there probably as long as his family had lived in Knothole. The sun was high above his head; poking its bright, gleaming rays through the canopy of leaves causing light and shadow to glitter over everything below the tree-line. The cobalt-blue hedgehog had only got up recently, which was the norm on a day off. And since Jules' friends were bringing most of the things they'd need to stay over in Knothole with them, and a few things he had forgotten as well, he had nothing to do but kick-back and relax until the rest of the gang arrived to get the party underway.

The cobalt-blue hedgehog sighed peacefully, enjoying the gentle rustle of leaves in the warm summer breeze and the soft chirping of native mobian-songbirds as they twittered contentedly away. Despite being known amongst his peers and colleges as being fast-footed and slightly spine-headed Jules liked nothing better than sitting still, surrounded by simplicities of nature. He liked the city it was true. There was always something new going on, but at the same time there was nowhere to switch off, to get away from it all and just be at peace. It was the main reason that he was happier living in Knothole and had no desire to move into the city… But the Hedgehog family home seemed a little empty now that his brother Charles had left. The house was quiet now and although he knew it was only a form of empty-nest syndrome that was obviously down to the fact that he was the last Hedgehog left at home, it didn't ease the slight pit of isolation in his stomach. Ever since his older brother had moved out Jules had not spent a lot of time at home. He filled his days off with visiting his brother or his friends. He hung out with Lionel in his make-shift bedroom laboratory, loitered with Sherman in the mechanical hanger of the Mobian Army base as he fixed up their high-tech machinery and just chilled with Tiger who was enjoying his R&R break from tour of duty. Today was the first day he had really spent time at his home alone and it felt weird. He guessed it would take time for him to get used to living by himself…

As Jules stretched out one cobalt-furred leg he peeled an eye open and gripped the head-stock of his maroon acoustic guitar as it slipped from its resting place in his lap. As he moved into a more comfortable position the seventeen year-old hedgehog pulled his guitar back into his lap and smiled fondly at his most coveted possession. His white-gloved fingers stroked the smooth silky-finish of the varnished body, enjoying the familiar touch of the caresses before moving his hands into playing position. The hazel eye that was half-open rolled shut as he casually plucked a few strings and enjoyed the harmoniously deep, soothing notes that vibrated through the sound hole.

Almost immediately following his guitar the exact same notes sounded from somewhere nearby making Jules' cobalt-pointed ear twitch and swivel around curiously. When he plucked his strings he didn't usually get a response, in fact he didn't know anyone in the tiny Knothole community who played a stringed instrument besides him. The seventeen year-old hedgehog's hazel eyes opened with surprise as the strings that had made the sound had a light, rich tone and more pronounced twang than his guitar did. With his interest peeked Jules plucked a few more strings and sure enough the stringed instrument repeated the notes the teenage hedgehog had just played. Jules listened carefully to the notes and finally deduced by the harsh twang and echoing ring that the other instrument was a banjo.

But who was playing it?

His curiosity was positively aflame now; so Jules pulled out the black shoulder-strap for his guitar and attached it to his instrument then slid down the wide trunk of the sycamore tree. Once his brown-booted feet hit the mossy ground of the forest floor the cobalt hedgehog pulled his guitar back around to the front of his bright red vest and plucked a few strings in a short melody, then listened for the response, trying to pinpoint the location of the mystery musician. As the strings of the banjo played Jules' cobalt-pointed ear swivelled before he grinned widely, pinpointing the direction of the strums and wandering off to find the banjo responsible. He wasn't in a rush to discover his anonymous banjo player; music was not something to be discovered all at once but to be explored at a leisurely pace. So he walked through the trees at a comfortable pace, passing the back of a couple of neighbouring log-cabins still strumming away at his guitar as the sounds of his acoustic notes melded with the insistent tones of the banjo. They're playing tempo increased to a country jig and as the hedgehog's white-gloved fingers danced over his strings. When he turned the dusty path corner Jules' strumming immediately ceased and a wide grin curved his muzzle when the mystery banjo player was revealed.

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Sitting on a rickety old wooden rocking-chair was a twenty-something light-brown-furred mobian-rabbit with dark-brown fur circling his dark-green eyes, a small dark-brown nose covered a white-furry muzzle and his ears were bent slightly forward in a natural kink. He was wearing a pink flannel shirt and a set of dark denim dungarees while his huge feet were bare. The male rabbit twanged an impressive country riff on his shiny white banjo before strumming with a flourish for an impressive finish. When he stopped the mobian-rabbit looked up towards the cobalt-blue hedgehog with a grin that displayed two very large buck-teeth right at the front of his smile.

'Howdy neighbah.' He suddenly spoke with an upbeat southern drawl. 'Yah sho-areh good at playin' that city slickah's banjo yah got thereh.' The mobian-rabbit then leant back in his rocking-chair with a lazy smirk twisting his fuzzy muzzle. Jules kinked a brow in slight confusion.

'You mean my guitar?' The cobalt-blue hedgehog asked unsurely as his instrument rested comfortably in his grip.

'Yup. Back whereh Ah come from, the Southern Baronies, that's what we folks call a gee-tah.' The mobian-rabbit drawled as his banjo rested in his lap with the deep-brown headstock laid across his left armrest.

'_Oh_. So you've just moved in, right?' Jules sounded conversationally as he swung his guitar around so the instrument was laid alongside his jagged cobalt back-quills. He vaguely remembered a 'For Sale' sign picketed by the log-cabin the mobian-rabbit was sitting in front of now.

'That's right.' The light-brown-furred rabbit drawled before setting his banjo aside then hopping out of his seat, landing neatly beside the cobalt-blue hedgehog and holding out his hand for a handshake. 'The name's Buchanan Rabbot but mah pals call me Buck!'

'Jules Hedgehog, nice to meet you.' The cobalt teenager shook hands warmly with the southern mobian who was half a foot taller than him. 'And my friends call me 'Juice'.' Jules grin widened, flashing the chip on the right-side premolar.

'Juice huh?' Buchanan sounded curiously then scratched the tuft of light-brown fur in-between his large rabbit-ears. 'Now how in tarnation did a crittah like yahself land a name like that?'

'My speed earned me my nickname. Wanna demonstration?' The cobalt-blue hedgehog asked then kinking his brow as his white-gloved hand rested boldly on his hips.

'Go ahead li'l partnah.' Buchanan Rabbot replied lightly and the moment he agreed Jules pulled his guitar off of his back and slung it high in the air by the shoulder strap so the instrument flew upwards. The southern rabbit-mobian gasped out in shock but was barely able to absorb what Jules had done before the seventeen year-old hedgehog tore after it, his brown boots blurred swiftly down the dusty track that served as Knothole's only road. His large feet screeched to a halt as Jules stretched out his arms, caught his precious guitar before sharply swivelling around and racing back to where the mobian-rabbit was stood gawping. 'Whoo-wee! You're fastah than a desert road-runnah!' He grinned widely before adding lightly. 'Ya fancy meetin' mah gal Missy?'

'Sure, why not?' Jules shrugged amiably as he slung his guitar back over his shoulder.

'Hey! Missy!' Buchanan Rabbot bounced around to face the front door of his log-cabin and hollered out loudly. 'Git your cotton-tail out hereh an' come meet ouah new neighbah!' Jules winced slightly at the mobian-rabbit's way of calling his other half feeling a little uncomfortable by it. He guessed it was a southern-thing to speak so assertively to a girl.

'Ah'ma comin', Ah'ma comin'..' The gentle tones of a slightly stressed southern belle responded before the front door of the log-cabin opened to reveal a teenage female rabbit with soft honey-fur and pale-pink shadow around her soft-brown eyes. Her fur was smoother than her spouse's though she had a long tuft for a girly fringe, a little pink nose surrounded by a neat white muzzle while her ears sat perfectly straight. Missy was wearing a loose-fitting but pretty white shirt that was held in at the waist by a brown belt and accentuated her curves. She was also sporting a set of light denim cut-offs that were very short and elongated her honey-furred legs. Unlike Buchanan, her hands and feet were much daintier and Missy looked like she was built for running rather than leaping incredible heights in a single bound. The female rabbit blinked as her soft-brown eyes settled on the cobalt-blue hedgehog beside her other half and immediately a wide smile curved her neat muzzle. Whatever worries she had vanished the moment she was in the presence of company.

'Well hi thereh!' Missy sounded in a bright and breezy drawl, her voice had a naturally sweet, breathy tone as she too spoke with a southern twang. The female rabbit then sashayed down the steps and stood beside Buchanan Rabbot as he wrapped an arm casually around her waist.

'Missy, this here is Juice an' Ah reckon he's got mighty fast feet for a porcupine.' The male rabbit drawled with a grin which highlighted just how large his two buck-teeth were.

'I'm a hedgehog not a porcupine.' Jules replied and folded his arms across his chest with a mild frown of offense. Porcupines were a completely different species to hedgehogs; their noses were longer and their quills were finer for a start.

'Yah areh?' Buck kinked his brow curiously before leaning forward and scrutinizing the cobalt-blue hedgehog before him. 'Ah thought that was justa name.'

'Oh, don't mind mah big galoot of a husband, sugah. Heh, back in the south thereh was mostly porcupines. We've only been livin' hereh a couple o' days, it'a take ol' Buck a while to adjust.' Missy drawled apologetically towards the cobalt-blue hedgehog, winking when she called him 'sugah'. Jules flashed a nervous grin and glanced at Buchanan to make sure he was ok with this behaviour. The male mobian-rabbit merely smiled at Missy looking relaxed proving that this was clearly harmless banter his wife was displaying. Immediately Jules exhaled silently with relief.

'No hard feelin's good buddy.' Buchanan added as his gaze returned to the hedgehog, completely missing the seventeen year-old's moment of discomfort.

'So what made you come to Knothole?' Jules asked curiously and the married Mobian-rabbits exchanged a smile, still holding each other dearly before turning back to the teenage hedgehog.

'Well, Ah recently signed up foh the Mobian Army, originally in the Confederate Regiment but was tranfehed hereh onna count of they need moreh Mobians to help out with the 'Overlander-problem'..' Buchanan Rabbot drawled as he scratched his furry white-muzzle absent-mindedly.

'Buck's brothah Beau was awful soreh when he found out we was movin' up north.' Missy added lightly causing her husband to roll his deep green eyes with a mix of light exasperation and amusement. 'What was it he said ahgen? Somethin' about how yah was just gonna be servin' the whims of the oppressors?'

'It was somethin' like that honeysuckle.' Buchanan responded agreeably as his deep green eyes narrowed further.

'The oppressors?' Jules kinked a brow in confusion, having no idea what these rabbits where on about. Immediately Buchanan's eyes widened before his expression turned serious and he untangled himself from his wife and moved beside the teenage hedgehog.

'Down in the south the royal hedgehogs ain't looked upon too kindly by many folks.' The light-brown-furred rabbit sighed heavily before continuing. 'It's nuffin' personal ahgenst the current royals; this is bad blood that dates back to the foundin' o' the Liberty Bill. Many o' the southan states in the Kingdom o' Mobius weren't happy with the way things were worded in the bill; they felt like many of the freedoms they wanted wereh denied. Many of them broke off an' created the Confederate Liberty Bill which reinstated the freedoms that the Kingdom o' Mobius had previously denied them.'

'Was that not what started the Mobian Civil Dispute?' Jules rubbed his tanned-muzzle thoughtfully; all this did sound kind of familiar to him. He'd learned all about this in school but the exact details were sketchy as this had all happened before history was recorded properly.

'That's right.' Missy replied with a slight smile. 'The Southan Confederate Mobians an' the Northan Kingdom o' Mobius fought ovah these changes foh yeeahs before both sides wereh fohrced to stand togethah an' face off the Overlandahs who sought to use the feud to theyah advantage. It was only aftahwards that the two sides met an' diplomacy was reached.' The honey-furred female rabbit placed her smooth-furred hands on her sweetly rounded hips.

'Though many in the Baronies believe ouah ancestohs wereh cheated with false promises an' that someday the south will rise ahgen.' Buchanan Rabbot added grimly before holding up his hands in a gesture of friendly defeat and added as he was determined to make his own feelings plain. 'Although Missy an' Ah areh both proud to be southernah's we don't believe that fightin' ouah northan brothahs is the way fohwarhd. We'll admit that we ain't the biggest fans o' the royals for what they've done in the past but we areh citizens of Mobius an' Ah'm willin' to do mah bit to presurve the freedoms mah forefathah's stood foh.' The mobian-rabbit's chest swelled with pride as he placed one hand over his heart and shut his eyes, looking every bit the proud solider he was destined to be.

'So, yah doin' anythin' the night sugah?' Missy suddenly cut in changing the subject, causing Buchanan's deep green eyes to open and look around to the cobalt-blue hedgehog he was stood beside. His stance relaxed immediately as a wide grin returned to his furry muzzle.

'Actually, yeh.' The seventeen year-old hedgehog found himself reminded of the fact that he had plans. 'I'm having a bunch of my friends over for a camp out by the lake on the other side of those trees.' Jules gestured vaguely towards the trees behind his row of log-cabins where he had spent the last week taking down the assault course his friends had rigged up.

'Ooh. Sounds nice.' Missy replied, clasping her hands together. 'Any perticulah reason yah all gittin' togetha?'

'They're all coming up to help me celebrate my birthday which is today-' Jules only managed to get this out before finding himself interrupted by Buchanan Rabbot.

'_It is?_' The Mobian-rabbit declared with loud surprise before his deep green eyes widened with excitement. 'Well, why didn't yah say so! Missy, did yah find the dregs of ol' Rusty's moonshine yit?'

'No. Goin' through the stuff foh the shed was your job, remembah yah lazy bump on the log?' The young female Mobian-rabbit scowled through her soft-brown eyes as she folded her arms across the bosom of her white-shirt. 'It's what'cha shoulda been doin' while yah wereh strummin' on yah banjo.'

'Oh right, sorrah 'bout that honeysuckle. Guess ah got distracted when the road-runnah hereh started strummin'.' Buchanan grinned sheepishly at his wife.

'My bad.' Jules raised his both his hands, not wanting to insight an argument.

'Don't yah drag him into this, it ain't his fault.' Missy sounded crossly before her expression switched to a slightly reprimanding pout. 'Besides Buck, this ain't the south we live in now. Yah can't just barge in on some strangah's hootenanny, even if yah do bring a bucket o' moonshine. Northan crittah's do things different, yah gotta be _invited_ first.' The female mobian-rabbit added with a snooty southern drawl.

'Why don't you guys join us?' The cobalt-blue hedgehog suddenly sounded as he flicked his quiff of quills out of his eyes.

'Say what?' Missy sounded with shock, her brown eyes widening comically.

'Yah wereh sayin'?' Buchanan Rabbot grinned widely to his wife but the shorter honey-furred Mobian-rabbit elbowed him sharply in the gut causing him to wince. 'Aw, dang it!' The four and a half foot rabbit-mobian bent over clutching his abdomen with a painful grimace.

'That's mighty sweet o' yah sugah-quills but Buck an' Ah wouldn't wanna impose on yah li'l git togetha.' Missy sounded as her husband finally straightened and throw a slightly disapproving scowl at his wife.

'You wouldn't be. It's my party and my friends won't mind; you'd be more than welcome to join us.' Jules sounded persuasively with his most charismatic grin.

'Whatta yah reckon then?' Buchanan sounded with a slight sigh, he was game but the male rabbit didn't want to agree if his wife was going to sock him in the gut once more.

'Yah sho we ain't gonna be a bothah?' The honey-furred female drawled as she blinked her pink-shadowed eyelids while looking at Jules. Her soft-brown eyes looked a little nervous at the prospect of meeting a whole group of new mobians so soon.

'I swear by Sauna it won't even be an issue Missy.' The cobalt-blue hedgehog replied without even thinking on it as he waved his hand in a lazy dismissive manner, flashing a cocky smirk as he did so.

'Well then, we'd love to join yah.' Missy finally smiled sweetly and immediately Buchanan Rabbot whooped gleefully, stomping a large furred foot off the ground and using the force to bounce several feet in the air. Jules grinned widely as the male rabbit shot up higher than any jump he'd seen before.

'See, this is why Ah love yah Missy.' Buchanan declared as he landed back on the ground and pulled his honey-furred wife to him and kissed her keenly. As she giggled he returned his gaze to the cobalt-blue hedgehog with warm hazel eyes now standing opposite him. 'Just give us some time to find ol' Rusty's moonshine an' we'll be right on ovah.'

* * *

It was early evening in Knothole and as the sun finished setting laughter could be coming from the lake at the far side of the sleepy hamelt. On the sand and pebble beach the group of late-teenage mobians had created a makeshift campsite and begun celebrating Jules Hedgehog's seventeenth birthday. Buchanan and Missy Rabbot appeared shortly after the rest of the group bringing with them a wooden barrel. While Missy had separated from the group of males, heading off to introduce herself to Cocoa and Ginger, her husband pulled a keg spout out of his dark-denim dungarees and screwed it into the barrel. Buchanan then picked up the first tin-mug and poured out the illicit booze then passed it to the birthday hedgehog.

'_So_…' Jules looked tentatively into the golden-coloured alcohol as it slopped inside his mug. 'What _is_ moonshine exactly?' His warm hazel eyes looked up towards Buchanan who sat beside him on one of the strategically placed logs.

'It's a home-brewed hooch, made it mahself with ol' Rusty's recipe just beforeh Missy an' Ah moved up here. Now git it down the hatch birthday-hog!' Buchanan replied brightly as he lifted his own tin-mug of illicit whiskey.

'Yeh, you heard the rabbit Juice, don't be such a wimp.' Tiger Stripes said loudly as he held his own mug and grinned widely at his best friend.

'Who's Rusty?' Lionel asked the southern rabbit-mobian as Sherman made a loud noise of agreement to the mobian-tiger's statement. Jules threw a narrow-eyed scowl towards the two friends that were goading him on to drink the strong whiskey in his mug.

'Rusty was mah grandpappie, Terra rest his soul. Beforeh he died he showed both me an' mah brothah, Beauregard, how to brew his patented moonshine. I'd tell yah what's in it 'cept it's a family secret.' Buchanan winked at the seventeen year old blonde mobian-lion next to him before Sherman and Tiger's loud taunting chant interrupted them.

'Drink it, drink it, drink it, drink it…'

'Ok! Ok!' Jules declared loudly with a wide grin and this instantly caused both the navy-skinned walrus and the white and silver-stripped tiger to quieten down. 'I'll drink it… but _first_, a toast!'

'Hold on sugah-quills..' Missy suddenly called out from the opposite side of the fire where she'd been sat with the two feline girl-mobians. '-just let us gals git a drink fuhrst.' The three of them then got up and grabbed three mugs, pouring themselves a large shot of moonshine before Missy slipped some lemonade in to weaken the mixture.

'Alright, carry on Juice.' Cocoa sounded gesturing for him to continue once the three of them were sat down on the logs again.

'To good times..' Jules raised his cup, looking around the group as they all copied him by lifting their cups too. '-good friends, good health and, hopefully, a good future.' He finished with a tight smile; the hedgehog had only added this last bit as Sherman, Buchanan and Tiger would all soon be leaving to fulfil their military duties to the kingdom.

'And may I just add.' Tiger suddenly stood up with a smirk. 'To Jules; the hedgehog who brought us all together. Happy birthday buddy!' He then cuffed his best friend playfully.

'Happy birthday!' The group cried out and as the three girl-mobians and three guy-mobians clicked mugs together Tiger and Jules did the same. Everyone then took a swig of their mug of home-brewed hooch. The moment the strong-tasting alcohol hit the back of the cobalt-blue hedgehog's throat it sent a burning sensation that made him gasp out the moment he swallowed it. Fortunately, he wasn't the only one who reacted this way as his three best friends were pulling similar faces of punch-drunk surprise.

'W-wow!' Jules coughed slightly as the potent alcoholic liquid struggled to go down. 'That's strong stuff!' He cleared his throat as a warm feeling spread over his body that had nothing to do with the newly lit campfire they were using to stave off the cool night air.

'Good for what ails yah though.' Buchanan drawled once he'd finished downing his mug of hooch.

'Ails us, we'll be lucky if it doesn't kill us!' Lionel sounded after abandoning his mug, deciding he did not want to drink the rest of it.

'Oh it's not that bad Lionel.' Sherman sounded before taking a large gulp and coughing slightly once he'd swallowed.

'Yeh, quit being overdramatic.' Tiger added taking a swing. 'It's like a stronger version of the whiskey my dad let us have a shot of on my seventeenth.'

'Yeh, and I didn't like that either.' Lionel pulled a grimace at the memory of Commander Stripes' best bottle of two-stroke whiskey.

'If it's too strong foh yah sugah just put some limonade innit an' that'll soften the bite.' The honey-furred female rabbit-mobian said helpfully from her seat beside Cocoa as the three girls drunk their mugs quite happily.

'Aw shoot Missy, puttin' limonade in moonshine's a gal's thing.' Buchanan drawled with disapproval at this suggestion.

'I don't care.' Lionel sounded dismissively. 'If it makes it taste better I'll try it.' The blonde lion-mobian then let Cocoa pour some on the lemonade into his cup.

'Some folk don't like theyah drinks as strong as yah do Buck.' Missy replied to her husband's words with a smug smile on her smooth-furred muzzle.

'_Pffft_, lightweight.' Jules snickered in amusement at the blonde mobian-lion. Lionel immediately responded by pulling an immature face at the cobalt hedgehog. Jules then drained his mug then made a 'whew' noise, looking like the strong alcohol had gone straight to his head.

'Someone git that crittah anothah cup!' Buchanan cried out with a wide grin and immediately Tiger grabbed Jules' empty mg and filled it again.

'Here you go Juice!' The white-furred and silver-striped tiger-mobian said brightly as he pushed the tin-mug into the hedgehog's white-gloved hand. 'Drink up buddy!'

'You guys trying to get me drunk?' Jules asked with a smirk of mock-disbelief.

'_Uh_, yeh…' Sherman drawled as if stating about the obviously. 'What else did you think we'd be doing on your birthday?' The navy-skinned walrus' brows raised in a crafty manner as he flashed a wide grin.

* * *

While the group of mobian-males where laughing together, drinking and goading each other to drink more in a typically guy-like fashion the three girls were chatting amongst themselves. They're eyes glancing over occasionally and throwing an almost withering look at the idiots on the opposite side of the campfire to them.

'So how long have you and Buck been married Missy?' Ginger asked the honey-furred mobian-rabbit as she sipped her tin-mug of lemonade and hooch.

'It'a only be a yeeah in a few weeks.' Missy replied lightly as her soft brown eyes turned to the yellow eyes of the orange-furred mobian-tiger with black stripes. 'But Buck an' Ah have been togethah since Ah was twelve. He asked me to marry him when Ah tuhrned fifteen and we married shortly aftah Ah turned sixteen.'

'Sixteen?' Cocoa cut in at this point looking confused. 'Isn't that a little young to be married?'

'Cocoa!' Ginger sounded with a scowl of disapproval.

'I just meant that it's a little young to be committing yourself to one guy, that's all.' The black and white-furred mobian-cat sounded flicking her long white fringe out of her blue eyes.

'Ah undahstan' what yah sayin' Cocoa but with Buck an' Ah it was love at fuhrst sight…' Missy tailed off as she put a well-manicured finger to her lips thinking before continuing. 'It's hard to explain but when yah meet the right guy..' Her soft-brown eyes glanced over to Buchanan who was laughing with the others. 'Yah jist know.'

'Oh please.' Cocoa drawled as she rolled her blue eyes.

'Ignore her.' Ginger sounded dismissing her best friend's words causing the mobian-cat to scowl briefly at her. 'She's not got a boyfriend so she doesn't really get it.'

'Oh-hoh! Is that right, huh?' Cocoa sounded with a sly smile.

'Well I have managed to tame the 'untameable' Tiger Stripes.' The mobian-tigress replied with a smug little smirk. At this point a loud whooping noise from the males on the other side of the fire caused the girls to look around; only to see Tiger and Jules monkeying around while the others drunkenly jeered and laughed. The only exception was Lionel who only glanced up with a slight smile from a small power-stone-charged radio before his attention went back to the knobs he was twiddling with.

'You were saying?' Cocoa sounded, looking back at Ginger with narrowed eyes.

'Ok. So it's a work in progress.' The tigress replied with a casual shrug. 'He behaves much better when Jules isn't around to influence him.' These words made Cocoa laugh and both Ginger and Missy looked confused by it.

'I'm sorry hun, but Alicia used to say the exact same thing about Tiger when she was dating Jules.' The mobian-cat covered her mouth to cover her smile before composing herself.

'Hey guys, the election results are in.' Lionel suddenly exclaimed excitedly once he'd finally tuned into the station he'd been searching for. 'They're gonna announce the new Mayor of Mobotroplis any minute!' The blonde lion-mobian grinned.

'Turn it up!' Tiger cried loudly with a wide smile. 'Did everybody remember to vote?' He asked keenly, turning to look around the group.

'Sure did!' Sherman sounded brightly.

'Yup.' Lionel nodded casually in response.

'You know we did!' Cocoa said laughing lightly. 'You dragged Ginger and me down there to vote as soon as the polls opened.' The orange-furred mobian-tigress with black stripes giggled silently into her hand at her best friend's words, knowing they were true. Jules snickered in amusement at this before stretching out along the log with his gloved hands behind his head.

'Well, since I only turned seventeen today and I never left Knothole, I didn't vote.' The cobalt-blue hedgehog said lightly as he made himself comfortable.

'A nonconfomin' democrat. Juice, I'd take mah hat off to yah..' Buchanan drawled with a smile that displayed his two buck-teeth. '-if I was wearin' one.' He added with a wink to the newly-seventeen year old hedgehog.

'Thanks man.' Jules replied to Buchanan's words before Lionel shushed them.

'Guys, it's on..' He then turned the volume dial up so the radio could be heard clearly around the campfire…

…_Well, this mayoral-election has been an amazing campaign but there is nothing more that either candidate can do. The booths are closed and the votes were in and counted by the Mobius Council Ministers themselves …_

'I hope it's Acorn..' Tiger sounded eagerly as he pumped his furry-fists, grinning widely. His father, Commander Stripes, had always taught Tiger that voting was an important part of their democratic society and never to waste it. He'd grown up following the political elections of the Mobotroplis City as his father walked him through how they affected the Mobian Army, moulding his son to follow in his very steps. The silver tiger had been enthralled by it all, eager to learn and since he admired his decorated military father Tiger couldn't wait until he could vote and make a difference.

'_Shhhhh_…_!_' The rest of the teenage mobians hissed him to be quiet. Tiger rolled his eyes and shook his head.

…_And, yes, we've just received word from the Council Building that our new Mayor of Mobotroplis has been announced. It's Maximilloin Acorn! He is collecting the keys to the city from former Mayor Whinyham as we speak. The new mayor is accompanied by his lovely young sweetheart, who has been by his side throughout the campaign for support. He won the election by only ten percent of the votes. It was a tight result but a well-deserved win for Mayor Acorn. More details coming through now, and apparently Mr Whinyham is not upset, the former mayor seems in good spirits about losing. He even surprised mobian-reporters by saying he's considering retirement, apparently it's clear that the times are changing and he's confident Acorn is the mobian to watch. And we've just received a sound-bite from our new mayor's first interview: 'Although I am happy to have won the election, I have to say that running against an amazingly tough candidate like Whinyham was only the fun part. Tomorrow, the real work begins!'…_

'_Wow_…' Jules drawled with narrowed unimpressed eyes, cutting in over the rest of the news report. 'He sounds like another upper-class suit.'

'_Juice!_' Cocoa scowled at the cobalt-hedgehog; her black-furred arms crossed over her denim-vest-covered chest. 'Don't be rude, you don't even know the guy!'

'Why do you care? You don't know him either!' The cobalt hedgehog glared back but before the mobian-cat could argue back a short, sharp whistle made both them look around for the owner of it.

'Quit fussin' an' feudin'!' Missy Rabbot sounded sharply as her honey-furred hands rested on her hips. 'We'ah supposed to be celebratin' a birthday, ah we not?' Her soft brown-eyed scowl flashed from both Cocoa to Jules clearly showing her annoyance at their argument.

'Yes. Your right Missy, I'm sorry.' Cocoa immediately sounded with a heavy sigh, willing to admit she had started this argument.

'Aw, its ahright Cocoa-gurl yah just got a little excited!' The honey-furred mobian-rabbit then grinned widely towards the boys who were chilling on the logs nearby. 'I don't know about yah all hereh but Ah feel like dancin'. How 'bout some music fellahs?'

'Yah got it Missy!' Buchanan sounded with a wide grin as he picked up his banjo and rested it in his lap. 'Hey Juice, yah ready to duel with banjos?' Immediately the cobalt-blue hedgehog swivelled his head and quills around to the twenty year-old mobian-rabbit and grinned widely.

'I thought you'd never ask Buck!' Jules declared brightly as he picked up his deep-red acoustic guitar and began strumming a fast-paced tune while creating a drum-beat by tapping his brown-booted foot off the log he was slouching on. After giving the hedgehog a few moments so he could follow the improvised melody Buck began to twang his strings at a similar pace, bringing a country twist to Jules' tune. The others cheered with delight and the three girls immediately grabbed a dance partner. Ginger seized Tiger and the two spun each other around joyously, Missy and Cocoa danced together laughing gleefully while Sherman and Lionel smiled widely clapping along..

* * *

Unbeknown to the group of mobian-teenagers celebrating by Knothole's lake an automobile was zipping towards the sleepy hamlet. Its wrought mobibindum frame painted in a light turquoise shade. In the back Princess Aleena was seated with only one guard; cadet Argus Fletcher while in the front driving was the other cadet; Jasper Jacks. Right now they were the only ones the princess could trust. She had accosted them after General D'Coolette had left the palace, leaving Captain Prower in charge of night-watch. The lilac-furred hedgehog knew that they were associates of Jules and that they would also know where to find him tonight. Princess Aleena had convinced them to take her out of palace grounds, his home-hamlet of Knothole was too far for her to travel alone and she had to be careful. The princess had left her crown in her dressing room and was wearing a deep red clock with a simple white dress and yellow corset. Since she was going in her alias of 'Bernadette' the blonde-quilled hedgehog would need to dress the part.

Argus and Jasper had just finished their evening shifts and had changed back into their civilian clothes. They had been about to leave for Knothole to meet up with their fellow cadet; the cobalt-blue hedgehog had already issued them with instructions on how to get there the day before. At first they were shocked when they found themselves accosted by the princess pleading to go with them to Knothole but eventually relented, remembering their oath to protect and serve the whims of the crown.

As Jasper's automobile pulled up to the small log-cabin that Jules now had all to himself the three mobians could hear the strings of a guitar riff fused with the strums of a country banjo melody. Argus and Jasper lead Princess Aleena through the darkened wood, aided by the distant glow of orange from the campfire poking through shadowed trees in front. As they closed in they could hear laughter and cheering as well as making out some silhouettes of teenage mobian-girls dancing around the opposite side of the fire in an almost country-style figure of eight dance.

It was these three girls who spotted the new arrivals first as the two male-mobians appeared out of the trees, revealing themselves to the group sprawled out on the beach.

'Um guys? Were we expecting company?' Ginger asked the group as a whole causing Tiger, Sherman and Lionel to look around in surprise as Buchanan and Jules carried on too absorbed in their playing to notice.

'I don't know but I wouldn't mind getting to know the one on the left..' Cocoa sounded as her eyes fell on the all-black-furred mobian-cat now walking purposely towards the group with his friend. She suddenly felt her face heat up and it had nothing to do with the campfire nearby. Her instant coyness and the reason for it wasn't missed by the shorter mobian-rabbit next to her.

'Mmm-mmm yah go get him gurl, he's a humdinger of a mobian.' Missy said with a wink to the black and white female mobian-cat who flushed at her words. It was at this moment that Buchanan noticed the group was no longer paying attention to their playing. Then when the male mobian-rabbit noticed the newcomers he instantly stopped playing and nudged Jules.

'Hold up li'l partner, we got company.' Buchanan uttered and the cobalt-blue hedgehog stopped strumming instantly and grinned as he recognised his two work-buddies.

'Argus! Jasper!' He cried out immediately and bounced to his feet, resting his guitar back against the log. 'You guys made it!'

'Happy birthday Jules!' Argus sounded with a wide smile, clapping Jules on the shoulder when the hedgehog jogged over to them. He'd drunk enough moonshine by this point impairing his running speed.

'Sorry we're late… we, uh, had had to bring someone with us.' Jasper added with a slightly sheepish grin before he and the yellow-furred mobian-wolf with a tuft of orange fur on his head moved aside to reveal the princess.

'Hi.' The lilac-hedgehog waved with a slightly nervous smile on her muzzle as she was still covered by her red clock. For a long moment the male hedgehog stared at Princess Aleena in shock before frowning slightly and leaning into Jasper.

'What is _she_ doing here?' The cobalt-blue hedgehog flicked his quiff of blue fringe-quills as they fell into his eyes at his sudden head movement. His tone was hushed and a little irritated.

'She practically begged us to bring her, we couldn't say no.' Argus responded softly.

'You should've left her at home!' The male blue hedgehog hissed back before flashing the princess a grin, wondering if he could get rid of her before his friends spotted her… or worse, General D'Coolette or King Ogilvie the Third realised she was missing!

'Is that Bernadette?' Jules sighed heavily with irritation as the sound of Tiger's voice indicated that the white-furred mobian-tiger with silver stripes had already spotted her. His best friend could be annoyingly sharp sometimes.

'Hello Tiger.' Princess Aleena called out, suddenly waving to him with a wide smile. Feeling instantly more confident now that she'd been recognised by Jules' friends, the princess passed her three guards and moved towards the campfire. There was less chance of Jules sending her home immediately if she integrated with the group.

The cobalt-blue hedgehog's hazel eyes narrowed as Tiger met 'Bernadette' part way towards the fire and greeted her warmly before leading her back to the group. Cocoa and Ginger enveloped her in hug before promptly introducing her to Missy Rabbot.

'Bernadette?' Jasper sounded slightly confused as to why Jules' friends knew the princess under this name instead of her real one.

'A few of months ago the princess snuck out the palace and into Macey's where she introduced herself under that name, obviously so she didn't draw attention to herself. It was the first time I'd ever met her and since I never thought I'd see her socially again it never occurred to me to tell my friends the truth.' The blue male hedgehog replied, bending the truth ever so slightly.

'That should work in our favour. In the interest of both the princess' safety and to stop the king from finding out we sneaked her out of the palace we should probably keep up the pretence.' Argus sounded reasonably, nodding at his own suggestion as if it made perfect sense.

'Agreed.' Jasper and Jules chipped in together.

'Hey, you guys joining us or what?' Sherman called out suddenly causing the three of them to look up and across at the campfire, seeing the others looking at them while sat around the flames.

'Yeh, yeh, we're coming..' Jules drawled waving a hand and the three cadets began wandering down to the campfire to the rest of the group.

'Here yah go, git this down yah neck birthday-hog!' Buchanan suddenly appeared beside Jules with yet another cup of moonshine. Argus and Jasper moved away from the cobalt-blue hedgehog and shook hands with Tiger, Sherman and Lionel as they introduced themselves.

'Ok, but I'm starting to feel a little wasted already.' Jules sounded before taking a large swig of the strong booze, feeling the effects of it go straight to his head and throw the mobian-rabbit a drunken smirk.

'Only a li'l wasted? Ah shoot road-runnah, you ain't quittin' on me 'til yah paralytic!' The southern mobian-rabbit said sternly, sounding like a true mobian solider.

'You're the boss!' Jules said cheerfully, lifting his mug as if this was a toast to Buchanan before taking another mouthful.

Buchanan then turned to Argus and introduced himself while a little way away Missy was whispering heatedly with Cocoa. The honey-furred rabbit-mobian was shoving the white-furred female cat towards Jasper while Cocoa was shyly trying to resist. However Missy soon won out as with one sharp push the white and black female mobian-cat found herself shoved hard towards the all-black-furred mobian-cat. Cocoa staggered slightly before she fell forward with a loud cry of surprise only to be caught by Jasper. When her blue eyes lifted they were met by his green ones and she flushed slightly.

'Hi.' Cocoa murmured with a coy smile, her white paw-hand instantly lifted and pushed her long white fringe out of her face.

'Hi.' Jasper smiled warmly, helping her to her feet. At this point Jules' attention was brought back to Buchanan and Argus who were now discussing the mobian-rabbit's surname as the yellow-furred wolf had mistook it as 'Rabbit'. While they were talking the southern rabbit was softly plucking his banjo, playing a slow country tune.

'Y'see, 'Rab-bit' is actually a suhname of belongin' the North but down in the South we-folks go by 'Rab-bot'.' Buchanan drawled good-naturedly, not wanting to make a big deal of a small pronunciation mistake but simply explaining the difference.

'This was the Southern Confederates way of distancing themselves from their northern brothers wasn't it?' Argus asked grimly. War made mobians do things for strange reasons.

'That's right.' Buchanan nodded solemnly in agreement as he continued to pluck his banjo strings gently.

'Jules…' The sound of a polite and soft-spoken voice made the cobalt-blue hedgehog look towards its owner swallowing hard when he saw the blonde-quilled royal hedgehog approach him. 'May I speak with you privately a moment?' Aleena asked gently as her emerald green eyes looked to him with a mixture of hope and nerves.

'Uh, sure Bernie, justa sec…' He finally replied to her words then turned to Buchanan who was still standing near him. 'Here, hold this for me bud.' He passed the southern mobian-rabbit his half-drunk tin-mug of moonshine.

'Sho thing partnah but yah'll be finishin' it when yah git back.' Buchanan replied with a roguish smirk that flashed the bottom-half of his large front teeth, pausing in his string-plucking just long enough to take the mug and set it down beside him. Jules flashed him a grin back before his attention returned to Princess Aleena.

'C'mon, we'll take a stroll along the beach.' The cobalt male hedgehog sounded lightly to her and the lilac-furred female hedgehog smiled back.

'Ok.' She said simply in response and the two of them began to head off along the darkened stone sand beach of Knothole lake. The pair attracted a glance from Tiger and Ginger who were cuddled together by the campfire and the two mobian-tigers shared a smile.

* * *

Jules and Princess Aleena walked further into the darkness away from their friends and the strums of Buchanan's banjo. For a while the two hedgehogs merely walked in silence, following the tideline of lake while the moonlight bounced off of the dark waters lighting up the sand around them. They turned a slight bend so the campfire was merely a distant glow from the other side of a line of trees. It was at this point that Princess Aleena stretched out her fingers and gripped Jules by the tanned forearm, stopping him in his tracks and causing his hazel eyes to turn to her.

'I know it was risky coming here tonight but when I learnt it was your birthday today I really wanted to see you.' She sounded gently and her words made Jules frown slightly.

'Risky? Ali, it was completely reckless! If General D'Coolette finds out about this all three of us are in serious trouble..' The cobalt-blue hedgehog responded seriously before his hazel eyes widened and he added confused. 'Wait, how did you even learn it was my birthday?'

'A little bird told me.' The lilac-furred hedgehog replied lightly and Jules' eyes narrowed in a deadpan expression of disbelief. 'Alright, fine. I heard Argus and Jasper talking about it in the hallway earlier.' Princess Aleena eventually confessed to him. They were stood quite close to each other with nothing but dark trees and moonlit beach surrounding the two of them. There was nothing but the sound of crickets coming from the long tufts of grass marking the border between sandy beach and woodland. After a few moments of silence passed she spoke again.

'Happy birthday Jules.' Her voice was quieter and a nervous glimmer twinkled in her eyes now. She turned her body to fully face him and took his hands in hers. The cobalt male allowed her to do so without any resistance. The cool night air that was blowing a gentle breeze was making his head spin, his true drunken state of mind finally surfacing now he was away from the cosy heat of the campfire. But even with his tipsy state of mind the seventeen year old hedgehog couldn't help but notice that the blonde-quilled companion's dainty hands were freezing and when he surveyed the princess she shivered slightly in the cool night air.

'Your cold.' The cobalt-blue male stated matter-of-factly. 'We should go back to the fire-'

'No. I'll be fine.' Princess Aleena cut him off before he could even finish his words and the seventeen year old male threw her a sceptical look. 'Really, I will.' She added reassuringly, ignoring the fact that she really was cold for the moment.

'Alright, if you're sure.' Jules finally said, relenting to her stubbornness.

'Close your eyes, I want to give you something.' The lilac-furred female hedgehog said gently with a sweet smile and Jules kinked a brow at her, his larger white-gloved fingers rubbing the back of her hand as he tried to project some heat into her.

'You don't have to give me anything.' The cobalt male said plainly but his words only made the royal hedgehog sigh lightly.

'Please Jules, just close your eyes.' Princess Aleena said with a slightly unrelenting hint in her sweet voice meaning she wasn't taking 'no' for an answer.

'Ok.' The cobalt hedgehog exhaled before obeying and closing his hazel eyes and standing perfectly still. Princess Aleena pulled both her hands out of his before closing the very slight gap between them. Jules' brow twitched slightly when she rested her dainty fingers on his shoulders but his eyes remained closed. Her face was inches from his now and her emerald eyes skimmed over his handsome features. Her gaze lowered to his mouth which was set in a line of uncertainty. She'd imagined kissing him more times than she'd even care to admit to herself but to actually do so would be a very bold move indeed. Ladies of a certain class, such as herself, were supposed to be reserved with their feelings and wait for a gentlemobian to show a clear interest and woo them first. Princess Aleena hovered in front of Jules' face as he merely stood ridged with his eyes closed. He was not a gentlemobian as such; he was merely a junior cadet of her father's Royal Guard. When they were together in the palace the cobalt male was always respectful, keeping his contact well within respectful boundaries which sometimes frustrated her. Princess Aleena often wished he'd just be like he was when they'd first met in Macey's, before he'd even known she was a royalty. It seemed like her title of 'Princess' scared him slightly, did he now think he wasn't worthy of her affections? The female hedgehog always knew she would have to be the one to make the first move; out of politeness Jules would never do it. Princess Aleena then steadied her nerve and pushed her lips to his, closing her eyes as she kissed him tenderly.

She'd only intended it to be a short kiss, nothing more than a fleeting brush of the lips to show him that she liked him. The lilac-furred hedgehog had braced herself for his reaction. She half-expected him to push her away and rebuff her affections but as her pouted lips made contact with his Jules gasped sharply in surprise before his lips responded.

Somewhere in the back of his alcohol-battered mind the cobalt hedgehog knew he shouldn't be kissing her back but at this moment his heart and inner desires ruled his actions. He raised his hands and one settled on the small of her back, pulling her closer against his warm body so he could project some warmth into her cold frame. The other white-gloved hand stretched up to her face and gently tilted her sideways, giving him more control over their kiss. His fingers then stroked her pale-skinned muzzle tenderly before traveling behind her head and entwining themselves in her soft blonde quills. The lilac-furred female in his arms offered no resistance, allowing him to take control as she remained pliant and submissive. With his concerns and doubts temporarily incapacitated by alcohol Jules dared to push the boundaries a little further by deepening the kiss. It was obvious even to him in his inebriated state that she'd never been kissed before. Her breathing was slightly erratic as she struggled to control it and kissing her was a little wetter than it should've been as she clearly didn't know how to deal with her saliva.

At first Princess Aleena didn't quite know what he wanted when she felt his lips press harder onto hers and his tongue gently flicked the line of her lips. Then taking advantage of a little intake of breath Jules' tongue slipped inside her mouth and his kissing suddenly turned more passionate. The white-gloved hand resting on her back began to caress her up and down, staying just within civilised boundaries but still enough to stimulate his mind. She could feel the slight smirk of triumph that twisted his lips and hear the soft groan of satisfaction that came from deep within his throat. He was clearly enjoying this moment. Her dainty pale-skinned fingers had slipped around his shoulders and were laid on his back on either side of his back-quills. The heat emanating from his body was incredible and she pressed herself into him, clinging to the warmth they were sharing. She had heard other young mobian-ladies of the royal court share stories of being courted, listened eagerly to their girlish giggling as they recounted stolen trysts with their lovers and how 'utterly glorious' it felt to be in their arms. In her innocence Princess Aleena had never fully understood how one could feel such contentment purely from being in the arms of a male. But now she could agree with their sentiments as he kissed her with such desire she could barely think, it was so perfectly bottomless that she didn't want the moment to cease. Princess Aleena may be new to this intimate act but even the lilac-furred hedgehog could tell Jules was a good kisser. She clearly wasn't the first girl he had locked lips with and she doubted any gentlemobian in the royal court would be this skilled either. It made her heart flutter just to know that she was lucky enough to share this amazing illicit kiss.

All too soon she felt Jules pull back and the princess suddenly felt bereft without his touch as she swallowed to rid her mouth of saliva, still tasting the bourbon-like alcohol of his mouth on her lips. She could feel his breath on the side of her pale-skinned muzzle with the smell of stale booze hitting her neat black nose. Her emerald eyes opening only enough to see the cobalt male hedgehog stood close to her face with his eyes still shut. He seemed to be trying to compose himself and control his ragged breath. Jules' white-gloved fingers let go of both the back of her head, where he'd been supporting her during the kiss and the small of her back. They then moved up and gripped her wrists and he gently prised her hands off of his shoulders before taking a small step back. His warm hazel eyes opened revealing a mix of emotions, the most prominent of which was confusion and instant regret although there was also a small glimmer of desire still evident too.

He seemed to have regained some of his self-control and sobered slightly, his head back in the driving seat of his body as he gazed at the princess before him. Princess Aleena blinked unsurely back as he suddenly dropped her wrists and sighed heavily.

'You should probably be heading home now.' His voice was soft, cool and straight to the point as he turned away from her and buried his hands in the pockets of his bright red vest.

* * *

_Little Notes:_

_Hey peeps! Sorry about the wait, this chapter turned out to be far more complex than I first thought. There's probably a few more characters in this chap than I'm used to writing and keeping them all in check took a lot of scrolling back and forth. Also notable, this is the first chapter which Charles is not in but he'll be back next chapter, so I'm sure he won't be missed._

_Ok, I introduced twenty year old Buchanan 'Buck' Rabbot and his teenage wife Missy in this chapter, the future parents of Bunnie. These two are the first proper OC's I've added to the story aside from King Ogilvie and Jasper Jacks. There is no background to Bunnie at all in the Archie Comics so these characters' backgrounds belong to me. I hope you all enjoyed my little 'Deliverance' moment with how Jules and Buck meet through their guitar and banjo. There's also a side mention of Bunnie's uncle Beau (pronounced Bo) who will make some kind of appearance later._

_Again, more Mobian history coming out here. The Mobian Civil War is loosely based on the American one, with the principles of the war being replaced with the lack of certain freedoms rather than slavery of course. Even though something as this was not recorded in dates the aftermath of the affects are still clear with the northern and southern divide in the kingdom. It sort of suggests that the truce was uneasy with the threat of the Overlanders on the horizon. War is a back-burning theme in this story so it will feature in most of the chapters from here on out._

_I kinda feel bad because Jules and Aleena's first kiss wasn't the most romantic moment ever but I did tell you that their relationship is complicated. There will be more about that when the next chapter comes up which will also have another slight time jump before the chapter after it which will time jump again._

_Until next time!_

_~Ditzy x_


	11. A Hedgehog's Mistake

**A Tale of Two Brothers**

_Hey Peeps, I don't own anything related to Sonic or his universe, that's SEGA and all other companies relevant to the creation of his various back-stories, and even though most of them have tanked it now that is beside the point. Honestly, I actually own very little in this fic (next to nothing to be exact) but this is __my__ story and even though I am using characters from Archie, DiC and SEGA I will be fleshing many of them out because they were only 2-dimensional so in some ways they will appear very OC hopefully you'll bear with me! Anyway, I've bored you to tears with this disclaimer so enjoy and let me know what you think! X_

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**Review Replies:**

**Nyx27Seth: Oohhhh, that kiss was almost as hot as my sunburn (ouch!)… glad to see your still enjoying it! Btw you're supposed to vote on the poll but… eh, screw it! X**

**Slayer 666: Lol, how many kisses do you have where the guy gives you the cold shoulder after? XDDD And thank you, I wanted Bunnie's parents to come off as rednecks since that's how Beauregard Rabbot was in the comics, it kind of made sense to try and stay true to her miniscule background. Y'know what? Your just gonna have to wait and see with the kids… I'm not giving away my secrets! ;) X**

**Chapter**** Eleven:** **A**** Hedgehog's Mistake**

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Jules Hedgehog's hazel eyes gazed forlornly down into the glass of almost translucent orange liquid. Instead of drinking it he sighed heavily.

'_Oh_…' The cobalt-blue hedgehog suddenly groaned out loud as he lent on his brother's workbench with his elbows and placed his head in his hands. His white-gloved fingers twisted in his long head quills, tugging on them agitatedly. Charles glanced around from his Holographic Computer System to his moping little brother and frowned slightly irritated by it. It had been two days since his birthday and Jules had stopped in to see his older brother in his studio-lab in Mobotroplis just like he did every day he was starting late at the palace. This had been the first time that Charles had seen Jules since he had turned seventeen. The mild-blue twenty year old hedgehog had meant to visit his little brother on his birthday but had been side-tracked by a brainwave concerning one of his experiments and lost track of the day. He had then avoided going up to see his cobalt-furred brother the next day having a feeling he'd need the whole day to recover from the antics of the night before. As Jules gave another despairing moan, still twisting his long head-quills, Charles was starting to think one day wasn't long enough.

'Are you going to tell me what's bothering you or just sit there and despair into your OJ?' The mild-blue hedgehog finally sounded in a low monotonous voice. He'd finally had enough of Jules' moping.

'_Argh!_ Charlie I've messed up!' The cobalt hedgehog suddenly exclaimed with a pained expression as his hazel eyes turned to his older brother, looking for some kind of guidance. These were the first words he'd actually said to his brother since entering his studio-lab.

Charles sighed heavily. Realising that there was no point in working on his mathematical equation for his theory on robotic transformation while his brother was whining, the mild-blue hedgehog turned away from his HSC computer-screen and gave his little brother his undivided attention.

'Alright..' Charles sounded calmly with an almost bored undertone, vaguely wondering how many times he and Jules had been here before. 'What did you do?' His white-gloved hands clasped together in his lap as his pale-blue eyes rested on his little brother's anguished face.

Jules finally let go of his long head-quills and took a shaky yet calming deep breath.

'You remember that 'Bernadette' girl the guys told you about?' The cobalt-blue seventeen year old hedgehog asked tentatively with a nervous look in his hazel eyes.

'Yeh. What about her?' Charles asked with a curious edge to his voice as his hairy blue brow kinked.

'Well, she appeared with a couple of my Royal Guard buddies at my birthday camp-out and I… I…' Jules' voice wavered anxiously as his hands twisted uneasily. 'Charlie, _I kissed her!_' He finished dramatically as his eyes looked imploringly at his older brother.

'So…?' Charles finally responded to this looking confused. This girl was hardly the first girl-mobian his little brother had ever kissed.

'_So!_ I was drunk! I didn't really know what I was doing at the time.' Jules cried out with distress. He shook his head roughly in self-disapproval.

'I still fail to see what the big problem is? Just apologise and tell her that.' Charles still sounded perplexed as his pale-blue eyes scrutinised his little brother.

'_Rrrr…_' Jules groaned as he gnashed his teeth in irritation realising that he was going to have to tell his brother the truth. 'It's not that simple Charlie. She's not _exactly_ who my friends think she is.'

'What are you talking about?' The mild-blue twenty year old hedgehog's brow knitted into a concerned frown.

'She made me promise not to say but you may as well know the truth..' Jules sighed heavily, his eyes dropping to his hands nervously. 'Bernadette is really the king's daughter.' He added softly, his cobalt-blue pointed ears dipped with shame. He kept his eyes low, not bearing to look his brother in the eyes.

'Wait? Are you saying that she-? That you…' Charles' pale blue eyes widened in shock at his little brother's confession. 'You kissed the Princess of Mobius?'

'_Ah…_ technically she kissed me; I was just too drunk to object.' Jules finally looked his brother in the eyes and grinned sheepishly with a slight shrug of his shoulders.

'_Julius!_' Charles gasped out in horror, unable to wrap his mind around the truth as it was just so shocking. 'What about your job, that could fall under gross misconduct!' He suddenly threw his little brother a worried look, not wanting him to lose his job.

'I know, I know. I'm a total idiot. You don't need to tell me.' The cobalt-blue hedgehog sounded with a hint of a pleading whine to his tone. He instantly shut his eyes and shook his head fiercely causing his fringe of quills to shake violently.

'Well I'm glad you said it.' The mild-blue hedgehog couldn't help but quip and this caused Jules to scowl at his older brother in annoyance. This was not the time for jokes.

'_Charlie_… you're not helping.' The cobalt-blue seventeen year old hedgehog's voice rose to a high, petulant whinge.

'Alright, alright, take it easy little brother.' Charles' white-gloved hands waved in a 'calm down' manner deciding it was best to push forward as nothing grated him more than Jules' childish griping. There was a slight pause as the older Hedgehog brother considered what to say before he eventually spoke again. 'Do you have feelings for her?' Charles' pale-blue eyes were scrutinising his brother again. Jules seemed to squirm uncomfortably at his brother's inquiry. It was a good question but unfortunately it was also one that he'd been wrestling with himself.

'I…' Jules eventually began but paused and took a cleansing breath before starting again. 'I may…' He broke off again and Charles' scrutinising look softened into sympathy. He knew how hard it was for his little brother to openly share his personal feelings. It was one of the things that he had inherited from their father. Maurice Hedgehog had never shared any of his inner feelings with his children. He'd never once told his two boys he loved them but Charles had never doubted that their father did. Jules' belief in it might have wavered now and again but the very fact that Maurice had raised them both single-handedly into the fine young mobians they were today was proof of his devotion to them.

'I may have… _stirrings_.' The cobalt-blue hedgehog finally sounded, feeling vulnerable now that he was laying himself bare to his brother's interrogation. For a long moment the older Hedgehog brother stared at his little sibling.

'Stirrings?' Charles repeated, blinking at his brother's word choice to which Jules' hazel eyes narrowed towards him. 'Alright, nevermind. Does anybody else know about the kiss?' The mild-blue hedgehog added wondering if they could fix the situation before it got worse.

'No.' The seventeen year old hedgehog gave a slight sigh of relief at this point. He was pretty sure that he'd not told a soul about it after it had happened. Instead he'd merely hid his shame by increasing his alcohol intake as a means of trying to forget about it.

'Good. What you're going to do is let the dust settle, ok? Do whatever it takes not to speak to Princess Aleena. Think you can do that Jules?' Charles spoke seriously, closing his eyes as he folded his arms across his chest firmly. Hopefully this would all blow over before his little brother got any more emotionally involved than he already was.

'Yeh…' Jules drawled with a short exhale, seeing his brother's reasoning. He nodded slowly as he realised there was only one sure way of avoiding Princess Aleena at work. 'I think I know a way to avoid her.'

* * *

'Wait, so now you _want_ to be on sentry duty?' Captain Prower asked as one light-brown eyebrow kinked up confused to his blue-quilled cadet. 'The last time I put you on sentry duty you said it was the most boring job on Mobius and that if anyone could die of boredom I'd just be punching a new nail into your coffin every time I made you do it.'

'Yeh, yeh I know what I said sir, you don't have to repeat it.' Jules cut over him, batting his hands dismissively at his captain's words. 'But I don't think I gave the job a fair assessment so I'd like to give it another shot.' The cobalt-blue hedgehog smiled widely, displaying the chip in his tooth. Captain Prower sighed heavily in response to these words before shaking his head lightly with disbelief. Cadet Jules Hedgehog had _loathed_ sentry duty. It required the guard on duty to be up in the battlements with a set of binoculars, scanning the expanse of palace grounds for any sort of abnormal activity and report it to grounds patrol so they could check it out. It wasn't a job for everyone and it certainly wasn't a job for a stubborn, fleet-footed hedgehog whose talents belonged down on the outside grounds. But if Jules was so insistent about doing it Amadeus knew there was no point in arguing with him.

'Alright, fine. I'll switch you to sentry duty but remember Jules, you _wanted_ this.' The golden-furred fox-mobian rolled his sky-blue eyes lightly before heading over to the work-schedule and began to alter the week's duties.

'Gotcha..' The cobalt-blue hedgehog winked before leaving his captain's office, heading towards the palace's top battlements.

* * *

'The next time I have a bright idea..' Jules Hedgehog scowled to himself as he held his night-vision binoculars near his chest. '-remind me to gag myself until it passes.' The cobalt-blue hedgehog had only been on sentry duty for little over an hour and he now remembered why he hated this job. The sound of mild laughter came from behind him and this caused Jules to glance over his shoulder to his commanding officer. The red-feathered mobian-woodpecker named Percy Peckers couldn't help but grin in amusement at the hedgehog before him. He swivelled his winged-wrist towards him so he could look at his watch before his deep-violet eyes returned to the seventeen year old hedgehog in front of him.

'Sixty-six minutes and forty-three seconds.' Peckers commented cheerfully. Corporal Percy Peckers was a bird in his late twenties who was quite level-headed but it was his keen eyesight and quick aerial manoeuvres that made him the perfect mobian to oversee the sentry privates and cadets. Although Jules did not like sentry duty itself he did like his red-feathered commanding officer. Peckers was a down to Mobius guy who preferred to be known by his surname as he disliked his first name. As an officer he was strict when he needed to be but most of the time he tried to be understanding of the officers in his charge.

'Huh?' The cobalt-blue hedgehog sounded dimly, not following why the mobian-woodpecker had said this.

'I was timing you to see how long it was going to take for the complaining to kick in.' The mobian-woodpecker sounded brightly causing Jules' hazel eyes to narrow. 'In all fairness I reckon you did pretty well, I was expecting you to start the moment you got up here.'

'_Hmmm_..' The cobalt-blue hedgehog sounded vaguely as he lifted his night-vision binoculars and scanned the northern-side grounds below. Everything seemed quiet. Jules lowered his binoculars again and sighed heavily. 'Yeh, well, I kinda asked to come up here so I brought this on myself.' He finally responded to his colleague's words and immediately Pecker's deep-violet eyes widened in shock.

'What? You hate this job! Why would you do that to yourself unless..' The red-feathered mobian-woodpecker tailed off as he realised part of the truth. 'Are you avoiding someone?' He suddenly asked with a smirk. Jules blinked before turning his eyes back to his partner, a guilty sort of grimace twisting his muzzle.

'Sort of.' The seventeen year old hedgehog admitted with a half-hearted shrug.

'Uh oh, you've gone and got yourself in a spot of bother have you?' Peckers sounded with a slight smirk and the kind of tone that made it seem like he was thinking Jules had upset another guard.

'Something like that..' Jules gave a deep rolling sigh, his shoulders sagging slightly as he leant his elbows on the wide stone masonry of the two-foot battlement wall. His hazel eyes gazed down glumly at the binoculars in his white-gloved hands, studying them as if they were more interesting than they actually were.

'Well, coming up here to hide won't solve anything. You can't run from your problems, you have to face them head on.' Peckers said wisely but his words were met with barely a response as Jules continued to gaze at the binoculars, turning them slowly.

'I'm not running.' He eventually gave a deep exhale then put the night-vision binoculars down and turned around so he was now leaning his lower-back against the short stone-wall, his back-quills resting comfortably on its surface. 'Just waiting for the dust to settle before I try to put things right.' His hazel eyes closed as his mouth set in a serious line, his arms folding across the breast of his Royal Guard uniform. His mind drifted to Princess Aleena. The kiss had been a mistake. He knew that now. No matter how right it had felt at the time, or how his heart still leapt in a weirdly warm way when he thought about it, it was still wrong. Their whole twisted friendship was wrong. He had to break it off before he hurt her feelings anymore. They didn't belong together, they never did. He was only meant to serve and protect her and if he let his feelings get in the way he wouldn't be able to do his job correctly. The problem now was… how did he tell Princess Aleena?

'Don't avoid it for long then Hedgehog. You don't want too extensive a wait or you'll miss your chance.' Peckers sounded gently.

'I won't sir, I just need a week or so tops.' The cobalt-blue hedgehog said honestly. He figured by that time he would know what to do.

'Good, you belong on grounds patrol. Your talents are wasted up here.' Peckers said plainly and Jules couldn't help but silently agree with his commanding officer. 'Now will you be alright while I fly over to the southern battlements and check in with the boys there?'

'Yeh, sure. No need to worry about me sir, I'll keep watch.' Jules lifted his night-vision binoculars again and turned back out to monitor his watch points.

'Alright, and don't forget to note perimeter-sweep checkpoints. They'll be due to set off soon.' Peckers added passing the hedgehog a checklist of points on his section of palace ground below. Jules rolled his eyes wearily but took the check-sheet. Watching the guys move slowly around the checkpoints was the dullest part of the whole shift. He knew it was just a safety precaution so they could be warned of any kind of threat but considering how he could perform an entire grounds sweep in a quarter of the time, watching others do it was frustrating.

'Aye, aye sir..' Jules droned as Peckers fluttered his wings and glided over the north-side battlements towards the south-side ones ten feet opposite them.

* * *

It was almost time for the new month to begin and the fifteen year old Princess of Mobius had been wandering the palace floors with a brooding look on her smooth lilac-furred face. Her emerald green eyes would remain unfocused and lost in her thoughts as she wandered without purpose through her massive home. The only time any focus returned to her face was when a figure in Royal Guard uniform appeared in her vicinity. Princess Aleena would only look long enough to realise it wasn't the cobalt hedgehog before her heart sank and her focus was lost. It had been five days since the fifteen tear old female hedgehog had seen him and that had been in Knothole where they'd kissed. She had not seen him since that night and the lilac-furred princess was beginning to suspect he was avoiding her somehow. But this raised as many questions as it answered. She'd tried talking to Argus and Jasper who had taken her to Knothole but they claimed not to have seen him either. Princess Aleena was unsure whether they were telling the truth or covering for Jules but either way she had to accept their answer. The royal hedgehog with blonde quills walked absent-mindedly along the main corridor and out into the courtyard, hoping the fresh air might clear her mind. Her tangled thoughts and worries concerning the cobalt-quilled hedgehog fell apart as her eyes spotted three very familiar echidnae approaching the entrance to her home. One of them was a face that she had been longing to see…

'Oh Lara-Le!' Princess Aleena squealed happily, pleased to be reunited with her best friend after being parted for the last two weeks as Ambassador Zayden had been needed in Albion to convene with the High Council. The moment the petit lilac-furred hedgehog had spotted her best friend all her fretting lost and she moved as swiftly as she could in her expensive white heels, rushing towards the red-furred echidna and enveloping her in a massive hug. 'I've missed you so much!' The princess sounded joyfully.

'I've missed you too! I have so much to tell you!' Lara-Le sounded as the girls parted from their embrace.

'Me too! You won't believe it!' Princess Aleena sounded excitedly before a deep voice sounded from behind the girls.

'Is your father inside princess, I need to speak with him immediately.' The sound of Ambassador Zayden's voice made the blonde-quilled royal hedgehog blink startled by his brash tone.

'Dearest, please don't be so rude to her majesty.' Lady Mimi-Le said gently to her husband with wide eyes, her soft-red quills had been pleated and then pinned up in an elaborate bun. She was wearing a soft-blue dress that matched her eyes. Ambassador Zayden narrowed his minty-green eyes towards his wife and made a low grumbling noise, clearly not liking the fact that his wife had spoken back to him.

'Is the king inside?' The deep-red furred echidna turned is eyes back to the fifteen year old royal hedgehog, using the same blunt tone as before showing he was not taking his wife's advice.

'Oh, _um_.. Why yes. I believe father is in the throne room conversing with Warlord Kodos and the other council members. I'm sure he-' Princess Aleena began to stammer nervously as Lara-Le's father always looked so imposing.

'That'll do, thank you.' Ambassador Zayden interrupted the lilac-furred hedgehog before she could even finish her sentence, heading off towards the entrance to Hedgington Hall leaving his wife, daughter and Princess Aleena to watch him with slightly wide eyes as he approached the guards. When he drew level with them both guards saluted warmly but the deep-red echidna merely disregarded them.

'Don't mind him darlings.' Mimi-Le sounded sweetly to the teenage mobian-girls. 'Just you ladies enjoy the afternoon; we will see you in the sunroom for tea after we have discussed business.'

'Come along Mimi..' Ambassador Zayden's voice sounded sharply at this point causing the soft red-furred thirty-something echidna to immediately head over to her husband and link arms with him obediently.

'Lara, your father frightens me.' Princess Aleena sounded as the two girls began to head out of the courtyard via the open garden doorway built into the side-wall.

'He frightens me too; at least you don't have to live with him.' Lara-Le said matter-of-factly.

'Are all echidnae males as cool and aloof as he is?' The princess asked curiously, flicking a blonde-curled quill out of her face as the gentle breeze had blown it out of place.

'Most of them are. It's just our way. Providers are traditionally strong and dominant while Maters are supposed to be soft and submissive. It's supposed to help bring balance and centre to the next generation.' The red-furred echidna said gently.

'I don't want to offend when I say this Lara but that sounds like male-based reasoning to me. I have only one parent and I am perfectly centred thank you very much.' The lilac-furred hedgehog sounded observantly, if female echidnae opinions were so undervalued this theory made perfect sense.

'To be honest, I think your right princess but I don't have any choice in it, as a female I must submit. My father wouldn't have it any other way. He'd see it as a betrayal to our beliefs and our ancestors.' The red-furred echidna sighed lightly. She'd never truly liked the idea of marrying a complete stranger but she didn't have the gumption to stand up to her domineering father. Princess Aleena made a noise of sympathetic understanding as she'd known Lara-Le since the pair had been in diapers.

'So what's been happening while I've been away?' Lara-Le asked curiously. 'Any progress with Jules?' Her minty eyes bursting with curiosity as she'd only seen him that the day the two of them had discovered he was working as a royal guard.

'I really don't know. We were getting on great until about a week ago when I sneaked out of here and went to Knothole to see him on his birthday.' Princess Aleena said shyly, nervous about her friend's reaction even though she knew the echidna would never betray her confidence.

'You didn't!' Lara-Le gasped out in amazement before her minty eyes widened with further surprise, she'd always known Princess Aleena had a bit of a defiant streak about her but this was incredible. 'How did you even get there?' She asked confused.

'A couple of cadets took me up there. But don't worry, they were friends of Jules they won't say anything.' Princess Aleena added the last bit as Lara-Le flashed a look of concern.

'You're so brave princess. I don't think I'd have the nerve to sneak out and travel so far.' The red-furred echidna looked nervous just by the idea of it. 'So was he pleased to see you?'

'Not really no.' Princess Aleena sighed. 'He told me off for sneaking out and going so far and… well…' She tailed off suddenly looking coy about the next part of her story.

'Well what?' Prompted the red-furred echidna, curious to know why her friend was looking so uncomfortable.

'I, sort of, kissed him.' The lilac-furred hedgehog flushed a light shade of pink and turned her blonde-quilled head shyly away. She was slightly embarrassed by her own forwardness now; perhaps it was this that had made Jules want to avoid her.

'You kissed him?' Lara-Le squealed out in shock only to be shushed by Princess Aleena, the lilac hedgehog's emerald eyes flashed for patrolling Royal Guards, not wanting their conversation to be overheard and reported. Thankfully there was none around and she sighed.

'Not so loud.' The royal hedgehog uttered. Guards could still be around even if they didn't see them. The two mobian-girls continued walking across the fresh green lawn as the afternoon sun shone warm and bright allowing the flowers around them to fill the air with their sweet perfume. They were heading towards a white garden swing which was nestled away in a quiet nook of shrubbery and flowers, hidden from immediate view. It was a place the two girls liked to go to speak privately about things.

'I did kiss him, and it was..' The royal hedgehog paused trying to think of the right word to describe it. '-just indescribable. He did seem to like it too. But now I'm regretting it because that was nearly seven days ago and I haven't seen him since.' Princess Aleena sounded with a gentle look of sadness as she sat down on the white-painted long wooden swing. 'Do you think he's avoiding me?' Lara-Le sighed the sat down beside her and caused the swing to rock them gently to and fro.

'I don't know. Maybe he's just been put on a different sort of guard duty. I mean they do get switched around all the time. He could just be working somewhere else in the palace and you've just not seen him.' The red-furred echidna said lightly, wanting to cheer up her friend.

'Huh. You could be right Lara-Le, I never thought about that.' The lilac-furred hedgehog smiled sweetly at her best friend. 'I mean he is a cadet and they don't have a set position. They don't get that until they're promoted to privates.'

'Exactly.' The red-furred echidna nodded with a smile. 'And if he's working nights he'd only be starting when you were turning in for the night.'

'Oh you are right.' Princess Aleena couldn't help but smile widely now. 'I should stay up and try to talk to him.' Suddenly her face fell as a thought came to her mind. 'But what if he really is avoiding me?'

'Then at least you'll be able to confront him about it.' Lara-Le flashed her friend a supportive smile as she stopped the garden swing and took hold of the royal hedgehog's hand and immediately Princess Aleena smiled back gratefully.

* * *

Once dusk had fallen the royal princess opened the secret passageway in her dressing room fireplace and slipped out into the dimly lit hallway. Immediately she began heading towards a stairwell that lead down to the ground floor of the palace. As she padded gently down the closed-off stone staircase Princess Aleena arrived in a large secret chamber with three escape tunnels, several spyholes in make using the eyes of royal portraits on the walls outside and a secret doorway leading to a concealed entrance to the main hallway.

She headed straight for the doorway and opened it slipping out so she was now hidden behind the deep-red velvet curtains that draped along the main hallway. She pulled the curtain back just enough to peak her emerald green eyes through and check for patrolling guards. Thankfully there was no sign of anybody so the young princess slipped out and headed for the Royal Guard's office wing where she knew they kept their work schedules for the week along with the Holographic Video Cameras that monitored various parts of the palace and changing area where they changed in and out of their uniforms. As long General D'Coolette, who was overseeing night-watch tonight, wasn't in the main office she would be able to take a peek at the schedule sheet and see when Jules was working next and ambush him. The blonde-quilled hedgehog slipped off her heels so she could sneak towards the door to the guards' main office which was on the other side of the locker room. Passing through the large square room with lockers on both walls and a long bench in the middle the princess cautiously pushed the door gently, trying desperately to think of an excuse in case the general was inside.

The lilac-furred royal hedgehog was spared from lying as there was nobody inside. Glancing quickly around the room the princes finally spotted the work schedule pinned to a noticeboard. The royal princess' eyes scanned the lines of names until she found the cobalt-blue hedgehog's name and she instantly smiled seeing he was on sentry duty right now, she didn't even have to wait another moment. Without another pause she ran out of the office and back to the secret passageway to head towards the battlements…

…On the northern battlements Jules Hedgehog was whistling an upbeat tune to himself as his binocular-covered eyes roamed the grounds below. However once he pulled the night-vision binoculars away from his face he sighed heavily as his hazel eyes narrowed.

'Nada..' He uttered with a drawl of tedium before groaning heavily. This job was boring him senseless. His mind began to think of a way to spice up his night and Jules scratched his muzzle thoughtfully as he mused on what he could do. Suddenly his eyes widened as he snapped his fingers, an idea hitting him. Instantly he pulled his radio out of his utility belt and put it to his mouth.

'This is Blue Blur to grounds patrol, does anyone copy?' He asked with a twisted smirk on his mouth.

'_This is Midnight Shadow reading you loud and clear, over._' A voice replied over the radio and Jules grinned wider. It was Jasper… perfect!

'_Midnight Shadow unusual movement spotted in the lower gardens, think you can go check it out?_' The cobalt-blue hedgehog let go of the button and sniggered immaturely at his crank-request. Sending grounds patrol on wild a wild goose chase was always fun, as long as Corporal Peckers didn't catch him doing it.

'_Can do, over._' Was the response over the radio and Jules pocketed his radio then leant his head in his hands as his elbows rested on the battlement walls, watching as the all-black mobian-cat wandered down the steps.

'Heh-heh.. Sucker.' Jules chuckled in amusement as his eyes narrowed.

'Does Corporal Peckers know you radio hoaxes to those on ground patrol?' A familiar sweet voice with a hint of disapproval sounded causing the cobalt-blue hedgehog to swivel around in shock. His warm-hazel eyes widened in further horror as he saw the Princess of Mobius standing on the battlements opposite him.

'_Aleena!_' Jules cried out in surprise with a slightly nervous grin. 'You're not supposed to up here.' He then added in confusion, not understanding how she had found him.

'And you're supposed to be taking your job seriously.' The lilac-furred hedgehog stated plainly as she folded her arms across her bosom.

'Alright, I'll give you that one princess. So what are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be getting your beauty sleep?' Jules asked the royal hedgehog as he leant back against the two-foot battlement wall.

'I came here to talk to you. I haven't seen you since… well, you know, we kissed.' She added gently, her emerald-green eyes softening as she gazed at the cobalt male before her. Jules immediately sighed heavily at her words; he should've realised that he wouldn't be able to avoid her for long. She was much more resourceful than he realised as she'd managed to track him here.

'I've been working nights since then but we do need to talk.' The seventeen year old hedgehog responded uneasily. 'Look, there's no easy way to tell you this but… that kiss was a mistake Aleena.'

'What?' The blonde-quilled female hedgehog blinked in confusion.

'I'm sorry princess but I was drunk; I wasn't in the right frame of mind and I lost my restraint. It won't happen again.' Jules spoke coolly, raising his hands in an apologetic manner. 'I think it would be easier if we carried on like it never happened.' He added serious though his hazel eyes gave her a hint of remorse for his words.

'What are you saying?' Princess Aleena sounded in a soft timid voice, feeling her heart suddenly tighten in her chest like it was being squeezed painfully. Her emerald eyes widened slightly as they stared with an open expression of anxiety and confusion, not understanding why he was saying these words to her.

'Aleena, I'm sorry..' The cobalt hedgehog spoke gently now, stepping forward and taking her hand in his, his eyes filled with sorrow and a glimmer of seriousness. His mind was made up about this. 'But I think we should keep things strictly professional between us. You're a nice girl but we're just too different. You're a princess; you belong with the type of guy that can give you everything you could ever want. At the end of the day, I'm just a guard; I'm merely here to keep you and your father safe that's all. I can't offer you anything else.' He immediately let go of her hand and turned away from her before adding gently. 'I think you should be calling it a night now princess.'

'But I..' The blonde-quilled hedgehog started before feeling hot tears run down her face, causing her black eyeliner and mascara to streak. Inside her heart felt like it had shattered into a million pieces and the bits were stabbing at her insides. She began to shake, barely holding back the sobs. At this point she scowled, feeling a stab of anger suddenly flash over her and Princess Aleena wiped away her tears and scowled. 'Is that how you really feel?' She asked Jules seriously, her voice stronger than she was right now.

'It is.' Jules said unemotionally. His back was to the princess and he was leaning over the battlements. He was holding the night-vision binoculars trying to control the slight tremor of his hands. His expression was slightly glum, but luckily she couldn't see him. He knew this was the right thing to do. He didn't belong with her, he had to let her go… but that knowledge certainly didn't make it easier to handle.

'Fine.' The princess' voice had a slightly steely edge to it and it made him wince slightly, not that she noticed as the sound of her heels clicking on the stone slab-flooring indicated to him that the petit lilac-furred hedgehog had turned and left. Jules then allowed his shoulders to sag as he gave a heavy sigh. His blue-quilled head bowing slightly forward, his long blue-quilled quiff shielding his eyes as his mouth set in a solemn line.

'_Blue Blur, this is Midnight Shadow, there's nothing here; you copy that?' _Jules' radio suddenly sounded at this point. The cobalt-blue hedgehog didn't even crack a smile as Jasper had finally got back to him about his crank call.

'Whatever.' The seventeen year old hedgehog sounded, not even bothering to pull his radio out of his utility belt to respond to it.

'_Blue Blur, you there?' _His radio said after a moment of waiting. There was a pause and then another transmission. _'Aw, Chaos Jules… this is another prank isn't it?'_ This was followed by a muffled static-distorted curse which sounded suspiciously like 'you blue idiot'. This made a tiny smirk curve Jules' tanned-skin muzzle…

* * *

King Ogilvie the Third walked purposely through the hallway of Hedgington Hall's private quarters, heading down towards his daughter's chambers. Concern was swimming in his deep maroon eyes as his red cape swished with the speed of his steps. He had not seen his child in a few days and apparently she was refusing to allow the chamber maids or her carer Marie D'Coolette into her rooms. Instead the princess seemed to have shut herself off from the entire castle as the only thing she did allow was the servants to bring meals to her chambers. King Ogilvie's brow knitted slightly as he considered his daughter's odd behaviour. She'd never been this aloof in her life. She had her mother's gentle and sweet nature, while retaining some of that fiery spirit that their royal family was infamous for. Something was clearly bothering her and as her only parent left the King of Mobius was determined to find out what that was about and fix it if possible. When he reached his daughter's main chamber door he knocked sharply on its high-polished wooden surface.

'Aleena, I will not allow you to contain yourself like this for any longer.' The green-quilled King of Mobius sounded sternly through the door, announcing his presence with the kind of authority only a royal dad could muster. 'You're worrying Madam D'Coolette and troubling the rest of the staff. If you will not come out and explain yourself then I will come in.' If he was expecting his lilac-furred daughter to come rushing to the door then he was sadly mistaken. Only silence was the response to his words. The green-quilled royal hedgehog scowled, his patience teetering as he did not like being ignored. 'Young lady… I'm giving you to the count of three.' He sounded in a firmer voice as his arms crossed irately across his chest, one finger tapping impatiently on his bicep. His daughter usually did as she was asked and he had not had to exercise any kind of discipline since she was a little hedgehoglet. There was still no reply to this so and the King of Mobius grumbled in the back of his throat at her continuing defiance.

'One… Two… _Three!_' King Ogilvie opened the door instantly and entered Princess Aleena's chambers; privacy was forfeit when his daughter chose to ignore his summons. As the royal green hedgehog stepped over the threshold the first thing he noticed was how dim her room was. He looked around the room for his daughter noticing that the light gauze curtains leading out to her balcony were drawn which explained why her room was so dull. One side held a chez-lounge and a neat little coffee-table near the marble stone fireplace which had a picture of his departed wife above it. In a corner nearby there was a stone archway leading off to her private en-suite bathroom. King Ogilvie suddenly became aware of the sound of gentle sobbing and turned his maroon eyes around to his daughter's large four-poster bed with soft-white drapes. Nestled on top of the soft-pink covers was the Princess of Mobius. She was laid on her side; her blonde-quills were matted and unbrushed, her face was makeup-free but her large green eyes were bloodshot and brimming with tears. King Ogilvie's expression softened as his previous annoyance melted away into pity and concern as he saw his daughter quietly crying, hugging one of her bed cushions.

'Aleena?' He sounded softly, approaching his daughter's bed cautiously. 'Dearest, what's the matter?' The King of Mobius asked gently as he perched on the edge where her legs were curled in. As the green-quilled thirty-five year old hedgehog leant one arm over her legs, resting his white-gloved hand on the bed-covers beside her. The princess wiped the tears from her eyes with the corner of the cushion before her tear-stained face turned to her kindly smiling father.

'Oh daddy..' The lilac-furred hedgehog sniffed demurely. 'I think I'm in love.' She sighed glumly, her bloodshot emerald eyes lowered back to her now-wet cushion.

'You are?' King Ogilvie the Third widened his maroon eyes in surprise at his daughter's words as they did not match her sad expression. 'But isn't that a good thing my child?' He asked her perplexed.

'No, because he doesn't want to be with me.' Princess Aleena replied with a sigh.

'What? Why in Mobius not?' King Ogilvie scowled in outrage at her words, what kind of mobian wouldn't want to date his beautiful daughter? 'You're a princess! Anyone should be honoured to hold your affections.' The lilac-furred fifteen year old hedgehog rolled her eyes slightly at her father's words. If only life was that easy. She then hauled herself up into a sitting position so she was now level with her father. His maroon eyes following her movements and immediately his hand lifted from its resting place to take her hand comfortingly in his.

'That's the problem daddy. He doesn't want to be with me _because_ I'm a princess..' The blonde-quilled hedgehog could feel the tears beginning to flow down her lilac-fur to her pale-skinned muzzle. 'He doesn't think he's worthy of me_._ I never thought being a princess would hinder me when it came to love..' She said glumly, still clutching her cushion close to her with the hand her father wasn't stroking gently.

'Oh I'm sorry this young mobian feels that way.' King Ogilvie the Third said soothingly before he kinked a brow with a slight smile. 'You want me to have a word with him?'

'_No!_' Princess Aleena squealed out horrified by the very idea and this caused King Ogilvie to chuckle warmly at her reaction.

'Heh-heh, well in that case how about you join me for a light brunch in the drawing room?' The green-quilled hedgehog sounded warmly. 'It'll do you good to get out of this room for a bit and let the chamber maids in.'

'That sounds lovely daddy.' The lilac-furred hedgehog smiled sweetly, tossing her cushion down on her bed. She then allowed her father to pull her to her feet and guide her through the arch to her dressing room. King Ogilvie picked up his daughter's pearl-inlaid brush and began to gently brush her hair, pandering to her just like he used to when she got upset as a hedgehoglet. Princess Aleena allowed him to do so; a small smile curved her mouth as she felt him gently tame her matted blonde-quills.

* * *

Once the princess was newly fresh-faced the two royals left her quarters and headed down the main stairway, heading in the direction of the drawing room. They didn't have to walk for long when they met two officers of the Royal Guard. One was General D'Coolette whose deep-blue eyes lit up with pleasure at this sight of Princess Aleena out and about again. The other was a very familiar cobalt-blue hedgehog who blinked in shock before trying to keep his expression impassive as King Ogilvie the Third smiled at his commanding officer warmly.

'Ah, bonsoir ma princesse. Eet is very nice to see tu out an' about..' General D'Coolette said warmly to Princess Aleena. 'Mon cheri will be pleased to be hearing this.'

'Thank you Mousier D'Coolette.' Princess Aleena replied with a polite smile. 'Father is taking me for brunch in the drawing room but could you please apologise to Madam D'Coolette for me, I did not mean to worry her so I just…' She half-glanced at Jules but the cobalt-blue hedgehog's narrowed eyes were looking pointedly away as his hands rested on his lower back. '-needed time alone.'

'Ah, but of course. And don't be worrying about Marie; she will just be 'appy with knowing you are back in ze company of ze palace.' General D'Coolette waved off the princess' words as if she'd already been forgiven before turning to her father. 'You want me to be informing ze chef of zees brunch, oui?'

'Thank you Armand but I do need to have a quick word with you first.' King Ogilvie the Third sounded with a smile to his general and confidant.

'Tu may your majestie..' General D'Coolette drawled warmly to his old friend before turning his eyes to the cadet beside him. ''Edgehog, please be escorting ze princess down to ze drawing room, tu de suite.' His words made Jules Hedgehog's hazel eyes widen with horror at the very idea of walking the princess anywhere.

'But sir..' The cobalt-blue seventeen year old hedgehog began unsurely, trying desperately to think of a way out of this.

'Just do eet 'Edgehog.' The foreign light-tan-furred coyote-mobian scowled towards his charge and Jules sighed with defeat.

'As you wish sir.' He responded reluctantly before turning to Princess Aleena and looking plainly at her with only an expressionless line to his mouth. 'Come with me princess.'

'This will only take a moment dear.' King Ogilvie the Third said as his daughter flashed him a nervous glance. She too was not keen about walking anywhere alone with Jules after what had happened between them. Realising that she had no choice but to walk with the cobalt-blue cadet guard she moved to his side and without a word to each other the pair set off, leaving the two older mobians to talk.

* * *

The walk to the drawing room was one of the most uncomfortable moments of Princess Aleena's life. Jules merely walked in silence beside her forcing his hazel eyes to stayed focused on the direction they were heading in as his stance remained ridged. His hands stayed by his sides as he walked at a comfortable pace remaining by her side. The lilac-furred hedgehog was grateful when the two of them finally arrived at the high-polished door of the drawing room. As she turned to him the cobalt-blue hedgehog finally turned his eyes to her though they remain almost as impassive as him.

'The drawing room your majesty.' His voice stated coolly as he bowed slightly then opened the door for her.

'Thank you my good sir.' Princess Aleena replied feeling slightly awkward about being so formal with him now. She vaguely wondered if it made him awkward too before forcing this thought from her mind and stepping over the threshold. Without another word Jules shut the door and immediately her bright green eyes looked sadly back at the shut door, threatening to form tears once more.

'Bye Jules..' She murmured quietly with a slight sigh of emptiness…

…Outside the door the cobalt-blue hedgehog was still holding the handle of the drawing room. The walk had felt so thick with unresolved tension between them that for a long moment he couldn't bear to pull his hand away from the doorknob. When Jules eventually turned away from the door he could only walk a few paces away before turning his quills and head around towards the door and gazed back with a sad smile.

'See you later Ali…' He uttered softly before turning away and sighing.

* * *

_Little Notes:_

_Hey peeps… Uh-oh! The plot's twisting again… I feel so bad. I drew them together only to rip them apart. I know I'm mean but it's really important… you'll see why in the next chapter I promise! And yes we will be having a bit of a time jump too!_

_Ok, nothing really important that needs mentioning in this chap so stay tuned for more soon! Hope everybody is still enjoying this…_

_~Ditzy x_


	12. A 'Breaking' New Development

**A Tale of Two Brothers**

_Hey Peeps, I don't own anything related to Sonic or his universe, that's SEGA and all other companies relevant to the creation of his various back-stories, and even though most of them have tanked it now that is beside the point. Honestly, I actually own very little in this fic (next to nothing to be exact) but this is __my__ story and even though I am using characters from Archie, DiC and SEGA I will be fleshing many of them out because they were only 2-dimensional so in some ways they will appear very OC hopefully you'll bear with me! Anyway, I've bored you to tears with this disclaimer so enjoy and let me know what you think! X_

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**Review Replies:**

**Nyx27Seth: I fixed the poll by the way so voting shouldn't be a problem now. And yeh, this plot is way more complicated than anything I've written before but I think that's why my attention is so hooked on this at the moment. It's a challenge and I like it. And thank you, I'm glad you liked the twist though this chap kinda sets up the next one X**

**Slayer 666: Chaos Rings? I think you mean the Chaos Emeralds. And to be honest I haven't given that much thought but in all honesty I don't see Jules in super form, Aleena maybe, due to her royal background and how the Emeralds feature on the flag and crown of Mobius but I don't know, it's not something that will crop up in this story. Ok, I'm guessing you're a guy LoL.. The thing is girls always take their first 'love' pretty seriously. It's a big deal to them and it's also a very confusing time so when things turn bad (like a break up) they tend to take it very much to heart and it can often feel like the world is over… uber dramatic I know, but like I said girls are complicated. X**

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_Dedicated to the people who've favourited and alerted this story: Thanks guys! Glad someone likes this story… don't be shy to voice an opinion though. X_

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**Chapter Twelve: ****A 'Breaking' New Development**

…_At nine-fifteen this morning King Ogilvie declared war on the Overlanders. The decision was made after Warlord Kodos and his generals returned from the badlands with the body of a yet-to-be-identified soldier who was brutally mutilated and, apparently, sent back to Warlord Kodos along with a note. Although the exact contents of this letter have not been made public it supposedly describes Mobians as 'nothing more than primitive beasts' and goes on to claim that 'our savagery knows no bounds'. The exact injuries the solider had sustained before death will not be revealed out of respect. But we have been told they were so severe that the king himself shed a tear of sorrow for the victim expressing disbelief as to how anyone could be so callous. Warlord Kodos, who had been trying to negotiate a peace treaty with the Overlanders, was appalled and disgusted by this act of violence. He admitted that negotiations had been hard but he never imagined that they would resort to an act of violence to make their point. He made a statement earlier expressing his disgust:_

'_We are not the savage beasts here, they are! This is no longer about trying to resolve things peacefully this is about survival! The Overlanders seek to destroy us and all that we stand for and I for one will not let that happen!…_

Almost three months had passed since Jules Hedgehog's birthday and the young cobalt-blue teenager found himself summoned into the main office of the Royal Guard. The moment his captain shut the door it silenced the rest of the radio news bulletin that had been announcing what he already knew… Mobius was going to war. It was something that his brother Charles had suspected was going to happen and once again, he'd been proven right. Jules had no strong opinion one way or the other on being at war but he fully believed that King Ogilvie the Third knew what he was doing. Having faith in the king was something that had stuck with him since he'd discontinued his friendship with Princess Aleena.

Jules' stomach twisted at the thought of the princess. Things were still felt strained and awkward between them. They seemed proper and professional on the surface but deep down he did not know how to be around her and he could sense the same uncertainty from her about him. The cobalt hedgehog felt bad because this had all been his doing; he had taken the choice to break off their relationship, trying to spare them the crushing heartache when they developed real feelings for each other then realised they could never truly be together. However, judging by the hollow pit of guilt developing in his abdomen and the stab of pain that hit his heart when he was near her... It seemed he was already too late.

'Congratulations Hedgehog, you've made private.' Captain Prower's pride-filled voice barely registered with Jules as the golden-furred fox-mobian held out his white-gloved hand towards his young charge. The cobalt-blue seventeen year old hedgehog merely sighed then shook hands half-heartedly with his commanding officer. His hazel eyes had a listless gleam in them as he did so. Amadeus Prower's smile twisted as his sky-blue eyes looked concerned by this unenthusiastic response from his newly promoted private.

'What's wrong? I thought you'd be pleased.' The Captain of the Palace Guard asked concerned, a frown knitting his brow at his downhearted officer.

'I am sir, really!' Jules flashed the golden-furred mobian-fox a brief smile that didn't quite cover the hollow pit he was trying to mask.

'So what's bothering you then?' Amadeus Prower asked the teenage hedgehog gently, he then moved around the desk so that he was now standing beside his private.

'It's nothing.' Jules replied a little too quickly in response to his captain's blue-eyed look of worry. 'Nothing you can help me with anyway sir.' The cobalt-blue hedgehog added reluctantly so that Amadeus Prower would know this was something he needed to deal with himself.

'Are you sure?' The fox-mobian said gently as he lent back on the desktop behind him. 'If there's something bothering you Hedgehog I'd like to help resolve it.'

'It's _uh_… not work-related sir.' Jules drawled sheepishly and at his flush Amadeus Prower couldn't help but nod as he hummed with understanding.

'_Ahh_… womobian troubles.' Captain Prower's mouth tweaked into a momentary smirk of amusement to the cobalt-blue hedgehog in front of him before it turned into sympathy. 'Now unfortunately, I can't offer you much on that front, but you aren't the first guy to go through it.'

'That's good to know, I suppose.' Jules sounded with a sigh.

'Chin up Hedgehog, these things usually work themselves out in the end.' Amadeus sounded lightly, the smile returning to his white-furred muzzle. He clapped one white-gloved hand on the teenage hedgehog's shoulder before it slipped to his mid-back then pushed him around to the main door. 'Y'know, it's funny. I never imagined you'd have much trouble with the ladies, always figured you'd be warding them off with a stick.' The twenty-four year old fox-mobian said lightly and this caused Jules to smirk slightly.

'Heh, yeh, you'd think huh?' The cobalt-blue hedgehog couldn't help but smirk with slight unease as he flicked his quiff of blue quills. Why did other guys think that being good-looking suddenly made you immune to all life's problems? Jules had always thought it complicated them further.

'Well, forgive me for saying so Hedgehog but womobian troubles will not get you out of your duties.' Captain Prower sounded with a more professional air as he opened the door leading back to the locker-room.

'I don't expect it to sir..' The cobalt-blue hedgehog replied seriously before heading out towards the courtyard where he was stationed.

* * *

'_Blue-Blur, movement has been spotted on the outer perimeters of grounds-sector three, check out the situation.' _ Jules Hedgehog's hand-held radio went off halfway through his shift and the cobalt-blue teenager pulled it out from his utility belt to respond.

'This better not be a wind-up Midnight Shadow, let's just say I'm not in the mood for it.' Jules drawled in reply with narrowed hazel-eyes.

'_No wind up Jules, a slim figure was spotted moving across the grass just a few seconds ago and since you're the fastest patrol private we've got-'_

'Yeh, yeh… I'm on it Jasper.' Jules cut over him before stuffing his radio back in his bright-red utility-belt then pulling out his ring-restraint gun and speeding off towards grounds-sector three. Within two minutes the cobalt-blue hedgehog had arrived at the sight the figure had been spotted in, his hazel-eyes immediately looking for clues as to which way the individual had gone. Although it was almost dark too dark to see Jules refused to turn on his torch and give away his position to the unidentified intruder. Instead he used his well-honed training to look for things that would give him some hint to track. Fortunately for him the neatly cut lawn grass revealed flattened foot-shapes heading off towards the large hedges that bordered one of the secret gardens of the palace. By the looks of them the footprints in the ground were still fresh, they were still close by. With his velocity he could catch them with very little effort so the teenage hedgehog knelt down to study the footprints more closely, trying to get an idea of the one he was tracking. They were tiny, much smaller than his feet; at best he would estimate a size four. Judging by the shape of the print they were either a womobian or a kid. But whoever they were he needed to apprehend them fast and find out why they were on palace grounds.

Immediately his size eleven red combat-boots blurred into a high-speed jog as the cobalt-blue hedgehog sped off towards the short maze of evergreen hedgerows that concealed the entrance to the hidden garden inside. Once inside the mini hedge-maze Jules immediately skidded to a halt, his pointed blue-furred ears twitching and swivelling as he listened closely for movement. After a split-second his warm-hazel eyes narrowed and instantly pinpointed the sound of the trespasser's footfalls as they moved swiftly away. He followed at a fast walking pace which matched the figure on the opposite side of the hedge he was on. Jules then spotted a tall tree and smirked as an idea came to him. He could just climb up into the branches and apprehend the intruder by getting the drop on them…

…Unbeknown to him, on the other side of the hedge, the slim figure who was wearing a maroon cloak that covered her face swivelled around startled by the slight rustling noise on the other side of the evergreen hedgerow beside them. As her eyes caught sight of an indistinct shadow in the tree directly behind the hedge this slim figure bent down and picked up a fist-sized stone before straightening again. The next second she threw the grey rock towards the unknown shadow and smacked it squarely in the head causing it to cry out in shock and pain.

'_Arhh!_' The yell sounded strangely familiar as the shadow fell out the tree landing on the ground with a nasty sounding crack and a loud grunt of agony.

'Oh no!' The sweet voice of the unknown figure squealed out in compassion, despite this unknown shadow scaring her almost witless she didn't mean to hurt them. Immediately she darted through a nearby opening in the hedgerow. When she arrived by the slightly curled figure she recognised him instantly by his navy Royal Guard uniform and cobalt-quills.

'_Jules!_ Oh, I am _so_ sorry..' Her sweet voice had a regal hint to it as she lowered her hood to reveal a blonde head of quills and pointed lilac-furred ears.

'_Uhh_…' The seventeen year old hedgehog groaned as he rolled over onto his back, revealing the arm he had landed on which was bent at an awkward angle. His hazel eyes blinked and tried to focus on the maroon-cloaked figure that was now knelt beside him, gazing concerned with bright emerald-green eyes. After a moment his blurry vision became clear and he found himself gazing up at Princess Aleena.

'Are you ok?' The lilac-furred hedgehog frowned slightly, looking anxiously at him. Jules couldn't help but close his eyes, blotting the princess from his sight for a moment as he realised it had been her who had knocked him out of the tree… the other guards would have a field day when they found out. At the same moment he became aware that not only did his head feel lightheaded and sore but his right arm felt like a thousand pins were stabbing him at once while his hand felt oddly numb.

'I… I think so.' Jules responded quietly, finally opening his eyes to look at the lilac-furred hedgehog still knelt beside him. He then gingerly tried to sit up but only managed to lean up with his left arm before wincing in agony, keeping his teeth gritted as the pain in his right arm intensified when he tentatively tried to move it.

'Here, let me help you.' Princess Aleena suddenly said in a soft but panicked tone, her eyes widening at the agony in his expression. She leant forward and gently gripped his right arm then carefully laid it on his chest as Jules winced painfully, his eyes screwing up tight as he sucked in air through his teeth. 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..' The lilac-furred female hedgehog whimpered emotionally as tears welled up in her emerald eyes, threatening to roll forth. Princess Aleena could feel her heart twisting with guilt at the pain she knew she'd caused.

'It's alright.' The cobalt-blue male hedgehog eventually managed to utter, taking deep ragged breaths as the sudden flash of pain that had licked his arm ebbed to a dull ache. The pins and needles in his injured limb still stabbing him as it rested against his chest. 'Think you could give me a hand up, princess.' Jules added once he'd struggled to lift himself into a sitting position, keeping his right arm cradled to his chest.

'Yes, of course I will.' The lilac-furred female hedgehog responded immediately. There was a desperate undertone to her sweet voice showing she felt wholly responsible for his predicament and was eager make sure he received the help he needed. Princess Aleena then tucked a stray lock of blonde quills behind a pointed ear. She instantly swivelled around and got into a crouch position on Jules' right side and throwing him a curious yet concerned look. 'What do you need me to do?'

'Just slip an arm around me..' The cobalt-blue hedgehog sounded then tailed off as Princess Aleena complied with his request. He could feel her slim arm sliding around his back and resting on his waist for support. As her fingers slid over his body it felt like her touch was burning into his blue-furred back. The sensitive nerves which let Jules feel touch through his fur and quills tingled warmly, heightened by his inner-feelings for the princess beside him. The cobalt-blue hedgehog could smell the sweet floral scent of her perfume now but ignored the sudden skip in his heartbeat at her closeness; he was determined to get up off the ground of the garden maze. 'Yeh, that's good, now just go with me, ok?' His hazel eyes locked steadily with her green ones, his voice staying calm so he wouldn't upset her any more than she was.

'Ok.' The lilac-furred hedgehog sounded nervously, nodding her head as her bright emerald-green eyes still flashed with concern, her other hand resting on his chest.

'Alright, let's do this.' Jules grunted as a glint of steely grit appeared in his hazel eyes. The cobalt-blue hedgehog then placed his left hand on the ground beside him and slowly pulled himself upright with the princess' help. Once on his feet the seventeen year old male hedgehog felt a light dizzy spell and let out a slight gasp and raised his left white-gloved hand to his head and gently rubbed the temple where the rock had struck him, finding a small lump had formed just in front of his pointed blue-furred ear.

'Jules..' Princess Aleena said in a soft caring voice as her green eyes looked up into his handsome face with anxiety; her fingers that had still been resting against his chest were stroking him gently. '-are you feeling alright?'

'Yeh, its justa little dizzy spell Ali, no worries.' The cobalt-blue male hedgehog murmured lightly as he and the princess felt her heart quiver with hope, he hadn't called her by that nickname since he'd told her that 'they' could never be. Did this mean he still thought about her? She still thought about him all the time. The royal hedgehog had tried very hard to forget about him but she couldn't. Even after how much the initial 'split' had hurt her, all the tears and sadness she had gone through Princess Aleena still cared deeply for him…

As Jules tentatively touched the bump on his left temple, his left eye momentarily closed as he inwardly winced before lowering the fingers of his uninjured arm and turning his hazel eyes to the princess. Her arm was still wrapped around his waist, supporting him even though he had both his feet firmly on the ground. The cobalt-blue hedgehog could easily have told the petit blonde-quilled hedgehog to let go of him but once his eyes locked with her wide and emotionally-heightened emerald-green eyes he merely let her cling to him, flashing a smile in the hopes of reassuring her that he was fine. For a further moment they said nothing, their eyes locked as the air around them seemed to thicken as the undeniable chemistry between them stirred irresistibly. Jules felt his heart flutter and a slight sting of regret for breaking things off. She was holding him close to her and Jules could feel her body pressed into his, her fingers still running tenderly over the gold buttons of his broad chest. The cobalt-blue hedgehog wanted to kiss her again; the urge was pressing heavily on his mind as his hazel eyes narrowed towards her. But sense and reason were quick to step up and remind him of his duty…

'Um, princess.' Jules sounded gently, finally managing to break the growing silence and subdue of his pent-up tension.

'Yes Jules?' Princess Aleena replied, her thick black-mascaraed eyelashes batting with innocent allure.

'Could you… pass me my radio, please?' The cobalt hedgehog sounded with a slight grin, keeping his injured arm locked against his chest protectively. 'I need to call this in.'

'Oh.' The princess blinked, immediately the moment was gone and the chemistry evaporated with it. She smiled sheepishly up at him, feeling a little embarrassed now. 'Sure..' The lilac-furred hedgehog then slipped her hand into his utility belt and pulled out his radio, passing it to his uninjured left arm. 'Here you go.'

'Thanks.' The hedgehog replied politely before turning away with a serious expression as he raised his radio to his mouth. 'This is Blue-Blur… anybody copy?' Jules sounded, pressing the 'talk' button.

'_I hear you Jules..' _Jasper's voice came out of the radio-speaker. _'-did you neutralize the threat?'_ Immediately the cobalt male hedgehog exchanged a glance with the lilac female hedgehog beside him and they both exchanged a slight smirk of amusement at the cat-mobian's words.

'Jasper, you are _not_ gonna believe this…'

* * *

'Well Jules..' Doctor Quack, the palace physician sounded once he'd finished examining the cobalt-blue hedgehog's x-ray then lifting it to the lit up white-screen so Jules could see the neat black lines in his arm bones. '-it looks like you've a couple of closed fractures, one in your radius and the other in your ulna. I'm afraid you'll be in a cast for at least six weeks while your bones reset.' The white-feathered duck-mobian threw the now-shirtless teenage hedgehog a pitying look. Jules Hedgehog blinked, not following the doctor's technical jargon despite the obvious hint now pinned to the wall behind them.

'I'm sorry doc; you wanna try that again in basic Mobish.' The seventeen year old hedgehog said, looking slightly confused.

'You've fractured both bones in the lower part of your right arm. It's going to take some time to heal, hence the cast.' Doctor Quack replied, his bright blue eyes twinkling kindly as a light smile remained on his square bill. He then kinked a brow at the young hedgehog before him. 'How did you say this happened again?' Jules couldn't help a groan of shame and raised his left hand to his face, shaking his head.

'I told you already doc; the princess nailed me with a rock and I fell out a tree, landing on my arm. I know it's hard to believe but it's the truth..' The cobalt-blue teenager had a hint of a lamenting whine in his tone before adding, removing his left hand from his face. 'When the other guards find out about this tomorrow I'll be the laughing stock of the palace..'

'By which time, you will be on statutory sick leave and unable to hear their taunts.' Doctor Quack responded lightly as he turned away to prepare the dressing and plaster of anais bandages that would form the hard plaster cast for the hedgehog's broken arm.

'_What?_' Jules nearly choked on his own tongue at this information, flicking his blue quiff out of his face then scowling in concern. 'For how long?'

'About six weeks is the standard-' Doctor Quack began but found himself cut off.

'No!' The seventeen year old hedgehog exclaimed with slight panic. 'I can't be off that long.'

'You can discuss that fully with Captain Prower Jules..' The palace physician replied calmly as he picked up the cotton wading and soft dressing that would begin Jules' cast. '-I'm merely here to provide medical attention. Now keep still, you may feel a slight pinch at first.' The white-feathered duck-mobian then snapped on a pair of light green gloves before covering the now-bruised area of Jules' right forearm in cotton wading then binding it tightly with the soft gauze-dressing. The cobalt-blue teenager winced uncomfortably as it felt like his arm was being constricted.

'_Ah!_ Does it have to be so tight?' Jules hissed as the mobian doctor skilfully wrapped his arm up then wound the finishing binding in the gap between his still-gloved thumb and fingers, securing it tightly.

'Unfortunately yes, we need to keep the bindings tight to insure your bones heal correctly.' The white-feathered duck responded before swivelling around in his seat and picking out the wet plaster of anais covered bandages that would form the hard shell of his arm-cast and carefully covering the dry wading already on Jules' arm. 'Now, once this sets you mustn't get it wet, keep it dry at all times and the bones should heal up nicely..' The mobian doctor instructed as he continued working on the arm-cast while the cobalt-blue teenage hedgehog beside him watched intently..

* * *

'Doctor Charles Hedgehog? This is Captain Prower of his majesty's Royal Guard, do forgive me for ringing you so late but I'm afraid your brother Jules has been injured at work… No, no, we suspect he's merely broken an arm, he's with our palace physician right now.' The blonde-quilled princess could hear Amadeus' telephone call to who must be Jules' older brother as she waited for the Captain of the Palace Guard. He wanted to notify Jules' next of kin of the situation before escorting her personally back to her chambers. The twenty-four year old fox-mobian had been less than impressed to discover that it was her who had been sneaking around the grounds at night. Princess Aleena knew she would be in trouble but at this moment it wasn't her most pressing concern, her mind was still racked with guilt about causing Jules' injury. Amadeus was stroking his white-furred chin as Charles was speaking on the other end of the phone.

'Well I was going to bring him to you but if you'd prefer to come here and pick him up then I will meet you out front in twenty minutes.' The golden-furred fox-mobian said and after listening to the reply he nodded serenely. 'It would've been no trouble doctor but I understand, yes, see you then. Goodbye.' He placed the handset back in its holder on the desk before his sky-blue eyes returned to the almost sixteen year old Princess of Mobius. 'Alright your highness, I'll escort you back to your chambers now.' The Captain of the Royal Guard immediately strode around the desk to the side she was stood at and stopped beside her, his expression sombre and almost unreadable.

'Can I see him first?' Princess Aleena immediately and the mobian-fox kinked a brow.

'See who your majesty?' Amadeus replied politely, his expression twisting with curiosity at her now.

'Private Hedgehog. I would like to see him before I return to my chambers.' The lilac-furred hedgehog responded to his question, her green eyes looking up pleadingly at him. Amadeus Prower sighed heavily at this request before rubbing the bridge of his nose.

'Princess, I don't think that's such a good idea-' He lowered his hand again as he replied only to find himself cut off as the royal hedgehog gripped his arm intensely.

'Please Captain… I must see him, it's important.' Princess Aleena now looked almost desperate now, still clutching him by his arm though her grip had loosened slightly now. 'I promise you, if you let me speak with him I will go straight to my chambers with no arguments. Please… just let me see him.' She added in one final attempt to sway him and the Captain of the Royal Guard's shoulders sagged slightly, his stance suggesting he was about to relent to her.

'Oh. Alright, fine..' Amadeus sounded with an air of reluctance, pulling his arm free of her grip as he scowled with disapproval. He would rather just take her to her chambers but she obviously wouldn't go willingly without seeing his newest patrol private first. '-but we make this quick.'

'Understood Captain..' The blonde-quilled princess smiled sweetly up at him and linked her slim arm around his forearm and allowed him to lead her out of the Royal Guard's main office and back towards the main entrance hall of the palace. As the two of them turned off towards the medical bay the Captain of the Royal Guard spoke again, breaking the short silence.

'Princess, you do understand that I will have to inform General D'Coolette of tonight's incident.' Amadeus Prower sounded solemnly, a flash of concern shone briefly in his eyes as he looked over to the teenage royal beside him. 'It would be unethical of me to conceal your involvement and you and I both know that when the general learns of this he will no doubt inform your father.'

'I know that Captain.' The Princess of Mobius said with a gentle exhale. 'I don't expect you to cover for me but thank you for your concern.' The blonde-quilled female hedgehog had a serious look in her emerald green eyes as she spoke.

'You also understand that since your father has now declared the nation at war he is not likely to be lenient with you. Times are becoming dangerous princess, your safety as well as his is now an even higher priority than ever before.'

'Spare me the lecture Captain.' Princess Aleena's pretty face suddenly twisted into frown of annoyance. 'I'm sure I will be hearing all of this again tomorrow.' The fox-mobian sighed inwardly at the princess' stubbornness but could not deny that there was some truth in her words.

'My apologies your highness, I did not mean to speak out of turn.' He replied humbly, hoping a compliant tone might placate her frustration. It seemed to work as the lilac-furred princess' scowl melted into a slightly apologetic look.

'Captain, please just take me to Jules as I asked you to.' She finally spoke in a calm yet authoritative voice. The sense of finality in her tone meant she was not prepared to argue anymore on the subject.

'As you wish princess.' Captain Prower responded with a nod and they continued on towards Doctor Quack's examination office in silence. Upon arriving outside it the golden-furred fox-mobian with light brown curls turned to the royal hedgehog waiting anxiously beside him.

'Wait here one moment, princess.' He requested in a gentle tone and the blonde-quilled hedgehog shifted her weight from one hip to the other, said nothing but folded her arms tightly across her maroon-cloaked bosom. Her emerald-green eyes seemed to be waiting for him to make his move and so Captain Prower knocked smartly on Doctor Quack's door…

* * *

'Come in.' The white-feathered palace physician called out in response to the sharp rap on the door. Doctor Quack had just finished checking over the now rock-solid orthopaedic-cast on Jules' broken right arm and had moved over to retrieve an arm sling for the cobalt-blue hedgehog. Jules' hazel eyes immediately swivelled around to the door.

'_Ahh_… Captain Prower, come in. Your just in time to help Hedgehog here back into his shirt.' Doctor Quack said warmly with a wide smile on his beak as Jules lifted his navy shirt and held it out toward his commanding officer.

'So what's the verdict doctor?' Amadeus said lightly as he took the cobalt-blue hedgehog's shirt and held it up to Jules' right arm, allowing the seventeen year old to slip his arm in then bringing the shirt around his back and letting his back-quills slip through the slots cut out in the shirt.

'Slight concussion, a bump to the left temple and a few bruised ribs, nothing couple days rest can't fix..' Doctor Quack began casually. 'His arm is another story, closed fractures through both his radius and ulna means he's going to be in a cast for six weeks.' The white-feathered doctor picked a green-coloured sling as Jules smiled at his commanding officer, watching as he carefully coaxed the hedgehog's bandaged right arm into his shirt then rolled it up over his cast.

'And if you follow that then you're obviously smarter than me.' Jules snorted in amusement at Captain Prower before turning to Doctor Quack adding, 'By the way doc; green just isn't my colour. You got anything else?' The mobian-doctor then turned back to the slings and pulled a yellow one out.

'This is your only other option Jules.' Doctor Quack replied lightly and this caused the cobalt hedgehog to roll his hazel eyes, he wasn't especially fond of yellow either.

'It's better than green, I suppose.' He said softly as Captain Prower slipped his red cravat around the neck of his shirt but didn't tie it once he'd tucked the navy collar down. Doctor Quack then gently manoeuvred the yellow sling around the cobalt-blue hedgehog's arm-cast then secured it at the front using a simple button fastening.

'I told your private here, that six weeks is how long he will be in a cast for but I'd recommend at least a two weeks sick leave to allow his ribs to heal and the swelling and pain in his arm should have decreased as the bone fractures stiffen and heal.' The white-feathered duck-mobian said to the Captain of the Palace Guard and the fox-mobian nodded thoughtfully before moving towards the palace physician and clasping him around the shoulders.

'Doctor Quack, why don't we discuss this in more detail in your office? I would like to have all the facts for General D'Coolette when he comes in tomorrow.' He then glanced at Jules as the cobalt-blue hedgehog kinked a brow in slight confusion. 'Oh and Hedgehog, you have a visitor… but make try to make it quick, won't you?' Doctor Quack threw Amadeus Prower a curious look before the fox-mobian smiled warmly at him. He then pulled the examination room door open. 'You may go in now..' He added to whoever was waiting outside as he and the white-feathered mobian-doctor passed, heading for Doctor Quack's private office across the hall.

'Visitor?' Jules murmured in confusion, his hazel eyes turned curiously towards the door. The moment the two older mobians had gone a petit lilac-furred hedgehog with long blonde-quills that had a slight curl at the end gingerly stepped up to the doorway. Her emerald-green eyes flashed with concern and nerves as they scanned his face then flicked over his yellow sling and cast.

'Hello.' She uttered in a soft hushed tone.

'Princess?' The cobalt-blue hedgehog gasped out in surprise. 'What are you doing here? I thought Captain Prower was escorting you to your chambers.' His neat brows lifted as the royal hedgehog remained in the doorway, almost as if she were afraid to come inside the room.

'He is. May I come in?' Princess Aleena asked in a nervous yet polite voice.

'Of course..' The cobalt-blue seventeen year old hedgehog sounded lightly and the moment she had his permission to enter the princess moved swiftly over to the empty chair and sat down next to him and took hold of his unbound hand.

'Jules..' Her voice came out in a tentative rush as her slim pale-skinned fingers rubbed his much larger white-gloved hands. '-I am so sorry about breaking your arm. Can you ever forgive me?' Her pupils looked up into his hazel eyes imploringly as watery tears brimmed her lower eyelids. Her fingers tightened on his hand. Jules threw her a reassuring smile and swivelled his wrist, taking Princess Aleena's fingers in his and stroked her hand with his thumb.

'It's alright. Really...' He sounded warmly but her worried green eyes flicked over his injured arm in the yellow sling once more.

'I didn't mean to, I- I would never intentionally hurt you... I thought, I thought..' She trailed off in a slightly choked up voice, shaking with the weight of guilt burdening her heart. Her green eyes closed tightly and the tears rolled forth down her pale-skinned cheeks. Princess Aleena gave a stifled gasp before ripping her hand out of his then immediately trying to stem her tears with her fingers.

'Hey, hey…' Jules suddenly crooned gently, his unbound hand immediately raised up, his fingers gently hooking her chin and carefully tilting her face to him. 'It's fine, Ali. There's no need to cry over this. It was just an accident. I don't blame you so there's nothing to forgive.' He lent in, resting his yellow sling and cast gently on the table as he did. The cobalt-blue hedgehog's hazel eyes scanned her face concerned as the lilac female hedgehog wiped the last of her tears away. Princess Aleena's watery green eyes looked up into his handsome face, dry sniffing a couple of times as she felt herself calming down a little from her emotional outburst.

'Does your arm hurt?' The royal hedgehog asked gently and at her words Jules smirked with slight amusement at the question before slumping back into his own chair as his left hand now resting on the table as his cast arm laid across his stomach.

'_Nah_..' Jules drawled carelessly with a half glance down to his bound and slung arm. 'The doc injected me with enough painkillers to numb it so I don't have to worry about it until they wear off later on.' Princess Aleena's eyes flashed with concern at his words.

'I'm sorry.' She uttered softly.

'Heh, you don't have to keep apologising.' The cobalt-blue hedgehog said unable to stop himself from smiling at her.

'I can't help it.' The blonde-quilled hedgehog replied softly. 'I still care for you.' At her words Jules' expression softened at her words.

'I know.' He uttered with a short sigh. 'But this is just the way things have to be.' The blonde-quilled Princess of Mobius threw him a questioning look, about to ask him why but at that moment the door to Doctor Quack's private office opened and both the palace physician and Captain Prower appeared.

'Alright Princess, we had an agreement. It's time for me to escort you back to your chambers.' The golden-furred mobian-fox stated plainly.

'Very well Captain.' Princess Aleena nodded reluctantly, her voice sounding a little regal as she stood up then smiled in a little disappointment at the cobalt hedgehog. 'Take it easy, won't you?' She added sweetly unable to hide the hint of worry in the questioning inflection of her tone.

'Sure thing, princess.' He said with a shadow of a wink and a laid back smile. 'Night.' He added carelessly as she turned away from him, heading towards the Captain of the Royal Guard. Princess Aleena paused at the doorway and threw him a gentle smile back.

'Goodnight.' The lilac-furred said lightly before leaving the room and linking arms with the mobian-fox who was a whole head and shoulders taller than her.

'Your brother should be here to pick you up soon Hedgehog, just sit tight until I return.' Captain Prower said and Jules gave him a mock-salute with his left hand.

'Can do sir..'

* * *

Once he had picked his little brother up from Hedgington Hall palace Charles Hedgehog had taken him straight back to his studio-lab. Doctor Quack had discouraged Jules from running at full-velocity for a few days to be sure that his brain recovered properly from the concussion of his fall, so this meant that the cobalt-blue hedgehog would not be returning to Knothole any time soon. It had been a good few hours since Jules had left his work on immediate sick leave and after discussing his options he had agreed to two weeks leave then Captain Prower would check in with him and see how his injury was progressing. They would then determine from that when the hedgehog could return to work on lightened duties. Until then, all the cobalt-blue hedgehog could do was relax and let his bones heal. After Charles had helped Jules pull off his work uniform the cobalt hedgehog laid down on the left side of his brother's wall-bed in nothing but his white-ribbed sports socks and yellow sling. Jules' eyes were closed as his fringe of blue quills just covered the edge of his matching eyelids but although he appeared to be resting he wasn't. Unlike Knothole, which made no noise at night, the slight hum of Mobotroplis could dimly be heard through the thick moldavite which formed the huge glass-windows of Charles' studio-lab. Thankfully the brilliant mild-blue hedgehog had installed large metal blinds that blotted out the streetlights. Now the only light in the whole open-plan apartment was coming from the power-stone powered light that was sitting on Charles' desk as the older hedgehog brother continued to tinker with the metal and wires littering his workspace.

Jules could feel the dull ache becoming noticeably fierier in his right arm which meant he clearly wasn't going to sleep now. His hazel eyes opened and he winced slightly before levering himself upright using his left hand then slumped back against the pillows once more. His movement was not missed by his older brother who immediately swivelled around on his white swivel-seat to face him, still holding the chipboard and wiring he had been working on.

'Can't sleep?' Charles said sympathetically as he surveyed his brother from behind his small spectacles and Jules shook his head roughly. 'Didn't think you would. How's your arm feeling?'

'Hurts a quite a bit now.' The younger hedgehog replied with another wince as he gently moved his cast into a better position on his tanned stomach. At his words Charles looked at the time on the display screen of his little red radio then smiling and getting off his seat.

'Well, the doctor said you could have a couple Mobazien tablets to ease the pain.' The mild-blue hedgehog picked up a glass tumbler and filled it halfway with water before turning, picking up the packet of painkillers that Jules had been prescribed and headed back to his injured little brother. 'Here.' Charles passed his younger cobalt sibling the two painkillers he snapped out of their packet and Jules immediately popped them in his mouth before accepting the glass of water and chugging it down.

'Thanks Charlie.' He gasped as he passed the empty glass back to his brother and allowed himself to sink back into the pillows, closing his eyes again. As the mild-blue hedgehog set the glass on the side his little brother let out a snort of amusement as a slight smirk twisted his mouth.

'What's so funny?' Charles asked, kinking a bushy brow curiously towards his cobalt sibling.

'Today was my first day as a private Charlie, and what happens?' Jules spoke, one hazel eye momentarily opening again just to look at him before closing again. 'I get my arm broken.'

'It was an accident Jules, just be grateful it wasn't your leg.' The mild-blue hedgehog uttered before getting up from the bed and moving back to his workbench.

'Oh yeh, six weeks with no running…' The cobalt-blue hedgehog's hazel eyes snapped open at this point, his cast slipping a little and causing him to wince as another jolt of pain shot through his arm. He grimaced through it until his flash of agony passed before continuing. 'Ouch. That does sound much worse..' Charles' mouth smiled for a split-second but since his focus was more on the tweaking of his latest 'idea' he was a little distracted from his brother.

'What're you working on?' Jules said after a moment of silence then frowned, tapping the index-finger of his left hand lightly on the top of his cast where his hand was. 'It's not the _robot_-thing is it?'

'Huh?' Charles sounded a little side-tracked as his attention turned to his brother, seeing the disapproving scowl that marred his handsome face. 'Oh. What? No. This is something else… I'm still trying to work out the kinks in the robotics equation.' Jules had made his personal feelings very plain about what he thought of his brother's idea of transforming flesh into metal. So he couldn't help but feel a small twinge of satisfaction that it wasn't going well, perhaps his brother had finally bitten off more than he could feasibly do?

'Something else? You mean like a side-project?' The cobalt-blue hedgehog said curiously, his brown eyes widening and his pointed ears twitched as his interest peaked by this new idea his brother had.

'That's right; it occurred to me that with all out advancements in technology over the years we are still using the same digital phone technology that was discovered nearly a century and a half ago. So I was inspired to take holovision and apply it to the phone to create a way of talking to another mobian face to face.' Charles said excitedly as he quickly finished of the complicated circuitry-chipboard he'd been fiddling with then moved to install it in the large flat-screen that had been laid face down on the work bench.

'You mean kinda like a holophone? Far out..' The cobalt-blue hedgehog gave his brother the thumbs up sign with his only free hand, approving of the idea his brother was offering him. For a moment Charles stared at his little brother in amazement before grinning at what he'd just said.

'Yes! Exactly like that and that's what I'm going to call it!' He then dropped the tools he'd been using and grabbed a pen and paper and wrote down 'holophone' at the top of his blue-prints and design specs. 'You always were good at pitching names for my projects.' He murmured as he turned his attention back to installing the chipboard into the flat-screen.

'_So_… how exactly does this 'holophone idea' work?' Jules sounded as he untied his sling and dumped the yellow cloth on the side. He then carefully moved his arm and hissing slightly as a lick of pain washed over him as he laid his arm down on the bed beside him.

'It basically works along the same line as a phone but instead of holding a handset you look at a large screen like this. And by using a live-video feed you can view the mobian whose number you punched into the keypad.' The mild-blue hedgehog replied with a smile and Jules nodded feeling a little drowsy now, his arm's pain had died from the sharp sting of needles to a dull ache as his painkillers finally kicked in. Now the pain had almost dissipated completely he would be able to sleep and talking about high-minded science stuff usually helped send him off.

'Sounds impressive but won't you have to build two of those things just to test it out?' The cobalt-blue seventeen year old hedgehog stifled a yawn with his uninjured hand then blinked his now heavy eyes.

'Yeh, I will build a second once I've finished this then Lionel and I are going to install it in the science lab at Mobotroplis University for the test call.' The twenty year old mild-blue hedgehog replied as his little brother yawned once more and stretched his uninjured arm out while his back arched to compensate for the fact his other arm couldn't move.

'That's just swell Charlie…' Jules drawled sleepily as his unfocused hazel eyes finally closed, his blue-furred head slumping sideways into the pillow as he fell into an exhausted sleep. Charles looked up from his busywork and threw an affectionate smile at his little brother who had finally dropped off with his fringe of blue quills splayed over his pillow. He then gently placed his tools down and moved over to the wall-bed and pulled the covers over Jules' sleeping form.

'Sleep tight little brother..' He murmured before returning to his desk, determined to finish installing the chipboard before he too would retire for the night.

* * *

_The next morning in Hedgington Hall.._

The echoing clash of swords filled the enormous ballroom as a light-tanned coyote-mobian in navy and red Royal Guard uniform duelled a green-quilled hedgehog wearing a sharp white uniform and wearing a gold and red-velvet crown. As deep-blue eyes locked with bright maroon eyes the two old friends raised their fencing-swords and repositioned their feet.

'Tu are getting a little rusty, mon ami.' General D'Coolette's French accent drawled in a slightly confident tone which caused the King of Mobius to kink a brow in slight amusement.

'Oh. Am I?' The green-quilled thirty-six year old royal hedgehog then jabbed his fencing-sword in an attacking move which made the thirty-seven year old mobian-coyote jump to the side and respond with a fleche movement of his own. 'Good show old sport, but let's see how you fair against my next advance..' King Ogilvie declared with confidence before moving forward with swift and precise footsteps and swinging his fencing sword around to meet his friend's blade. Both General Armand D'Coolette and King Ogilvie Hedgington the Third had been friends for years. Back when Prince Ogilvie and Corporal D'Coolette had first met they'd bonded over their fondness of fencing and even now, twenty years later, the pair still enjoyed nothing more than clashing swords and exchanging banter.

'So, were tu speaking to your daughter?' General D'Coolette asked his oldest friend in a slightly concerned tone as their blades continued to bat off each other. The King of Mobius suddenly sighed as his sword-blade hung limply to the floor.

'Yes I spoke to her Armand and I assure you that she will not be sneaking out of her chamber again. I made my disappointment with her behaviour quite plain on that front.' The king's maroon eyes narrowed before he tucked a stray green quill under his crowd. 'I guess my daughter is just going through a wilful stage..'

'Well, Princesse Aleena is almost sixteen, no? Perhaps eet is time to find her a potential suitor.' General D'Coolette suggested as he sheathed his own sword then threw his friend a sympathetic look, thinking that maybe a gentlemobian would be able to rein in her wayward behaviour.

'I could never pick out a suitor for her Armand and I wouldn't want to try. Aleena would no doubt hate anybody I thought was worthy of her.' King Ogilvie sighed heavily. It had come as quite a shock to him when the Ruler of Mobius had discovered that his daughter had been sneaking out of her chambers at night. He had always respected Princess Aleena's sense of independence but if this wilful behaviour continued he'd be forced to step up her personal security. These were dangerous times they were living in and as the future of Mobius he needed to keep his daughter safe, as his only child and heir he simply could not allow her to be reckless.

'Perhaps tu will not be needing to pick for 'er your majeste.' General D'Coolette replied as he stroked his short blonde goatee in a musing manner. 'Tu could simply be creating ze right conditions for amour. Tu remember 'ow tu was meeting Bernadette, oui?' The green-quilled King of Mobius had been reattaching his red cape, which he had discarded while they'd been fencing. King Ogilvie the Third paused in his fastening and turned his maroon eyes back towards his oldest friend, staring at him in disbelief at his words. He could remember the day he had met the late Queen of Mobius as vividly as if it had only been yesterday. They had innocently bumped into each other at one of the royal debutante balls. Their eyes had met and in that split second of meeting they knew they were destined to be together…

'Yes old friend..' King Ogilvie sounded in a quiet voice as he finished tying his bright red cape. '-I remember.' His shoulders sagged slightly as his eyes turned to the portrait on the wall which showed him standing by his seated wife.

'I was not meaning to bring back ze pain, mon vieil ami.' Armand D'Coolette stepped up to his sovereign and friend, clapping a hand reassuringly on King Ogilvie's shoulder. 'What I was trying to suggest was zat if we were to be holding zees year's debutant then perhaps ze princesse could pick 'er own suitor.' The light-tan furred mobian-coyote said with the hint of a smirk twisting his smile.

'_Hmmm_…' King Ogilvie rubbed his clean-shaven muzzle thoughtfully at the idea before lowering his white-gloved hand and turning his gaze to General D'Coolette. 'Perhaps you have something there old boy.' He grinned back, finally coming around to the idea. 'Aleena would be safe in the comfort of her own home and with all the eligible young gentlemobians in Mobius here one is bound to spark her interest.'

'Precisement tu majeste.' General D'Coolette said brightly in French, not that it made any difference to the Ruler of Mobius which language he spoke in as they'd known each other so long and understood each other perfectly.

'We'll set the date for right after Aleena's sixteenth birthday in a few weeks and make sure that the invites demand a mandatory attendance..' The King of Mobius was stating as he paced back and forth. 'I'll oversee the details myself and Armand; I'll leave you to handle the details on security.' He turned his attention back to his oldest friend and the mobian-coyote smiled, pleased to see a spark of enthusiasm back in the king's face.

'But of course, I'll make sure I 'ave my best guards on zat night.' He replied with a slight bow.

'Now if you'll excuse me I have to speak with Lord Montclair, he's usually the one who spearheads our debutant balls.' The green-quilled King of Mobius sounded politely, handing his sheathed sword to General D'Coolette before leaving the ballroom through the huge double doors and disappearing quickly out of sight.

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_Little Notes:_

_Hey peeps… ok, seriously, I have no idea what the hell this chapter title is about. All I know is: it's 4AM and my housemates are keeping me awake with loud music and pointless dancing on squeaky floorboards. As you can imagine I'm tired and cranky and totally fed up but since I'm not sleeping I figured I may as well make good use of my time by updating my fic. So yeh… don't ask about the title, it seemed like a good idea at the time._

_Alright, the broken arm thing… yeh, I kinda like the idea of Jules getting hurt, am I a sadist? Probably. I was thinking for ages on the funniest way for him to break his arm and then this sort of hit me… hope you like it. And obviously King Ogilvie's reaction to it is kind of understandable but at the same time why do guys usually think all their daughter's 'wilful problems' can be solved by finding them a husband? Seriously, what is that? However it really fits with the idea I have for the next chapter so bear with me.._

_Ok, Charles is back and inventing something else. Surprise, surprise… well, the guy has to fund his research somehow, right? I always figured that the robotisizer was a seriously complicated piece of kit and probably would've taken a long time to piece together, even though Archie says he had it built in a few short years (I don't think so)… it'll probably be a long arduous project in this fic so he'll be inventing other stuff on the side as well as moving through the scientific ladder, so to speak…_

_Stay tuned for more soon…_

_~Ditzy x_


	13. The Night Of The Debutant Ball

**A Tale of Two Brothers**

_Hey Peeps, I don't own anything related to Sonic or his universe, that's SEGA and all other companies relevant to the creation of his various back-stories, and even though most of them have tanked it now that is beside the point. Honestly, I actually own very little in this fic (next to nothing to be exact) but this is __my__ story and even though I am using characters from Archie, DiC and SEGA I will be fleshing many of them out because they were only 2-dimensional so in some ways they will appear very OC hopefully you'll bear with me! Anyway, I've bored you to tears with this disclaimer so enjoy and let me know what you think! X_

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**Review Replies:**

**Nyx27Seth: Haha, how did I know you'd love it when he broke his arm? Well, that is an interesting idea about the jealousy but I think I can twist it a little more so things aren't what they first appear… we'll see what I can do x**

**Slayer 666: Ok, I have no idea what the Bachelorette is I have never seen it and only heard about it in Family Guy, it sounds like one of those god awful shows that only sad people who are desperate and stupid would enter. I guess it was one of those shows that the British Television people looked at and went 'Hell No' so we never got to see it… I wish somebody would do that with Big Brother! And no, it didn't really work in royal families either (it did sometimes) but divorce is really frowned upon, just look at all the crap Prince Charles got when he split with Diana (that's a perfect example of how badly the public take it).. The view is generally; well you made your bed so lie in it for the good of the nation… besides, once your rulers are established the marriage and monarchy is binding. It puts up a very bad image if the King divorces his Queen (King Henry the VIII taught us that) if they can't be united in marriage how can they unite a nation.. X**

**Astroshadow: Yes, it is… I don't really know what else to say to that other than there is not a lot of actual debutant action, this is mostly behind the scene stuff. X**

**AllesiaTheHedge: Nope, not heard of you but glad that there is someone else out there that loves this pair! They are my favourite pair and there is not enough done on them. Inspiration for what I wonder… you have me intrigued now! I'm guessing by 'writing ability' you are referring to the fact that I somehow manage to cram so much detail into my chapters? I admit it… I'm a stickler for details, I want people to try and see the story as I would in my head, I try and picture it like a mini-cartoon in my head (weird I know but it works).. Anyway, glad you like the story and hope you stick around for more X **

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**Chapter Thirteen: ****The Night of the Debutant Ball..**

It wasn't until the end of his first week bound in a cast did Jules finally return to his home in Knothole, glad to be back amongst the secluded trees. He had hoped to come back sooner but Charles had refused to let his little brother return until he was sure his cobalt sibling could take care of himself. It had been frustrating but Jules knew his older brother was just concerned and meant well so he endured the extra time in the big city just to please him. But Charles needn't have worried as not long after the mild-blue hedgehog had left his brother to settle in, after making him promise to take things easy, Missy Rabbot had arrived having missed him in his absence.

The moment the honey-furred female rabbit saw his broken arm her soft-brown eyes widened like saucers then she instantly invited herself in and began fussing over him. With her husband Buchanan Rabbot away serving on the frontlines of war Missy had grown lonely without him. It was the first time she had found herself alone since moving to Knothole. Since all her family was back in the south the honey-furred female rabbit had found herself seeking companionship from Jules to fill the hollow void her husband had left. Now that the cobalt-blue hedgehog was injured she had more of an excuse to care and mollycoddle him like she would usually do for her own husband. Jules had never asked Missy to do things like cook, clean or laundry for him but it made her so happy to have someone to take care of that he couldn't bring himself to ask her to stop. Besides, letting her care for him made his last week of statutory sick leave easier…

On his final day of sick leave Jules found himself sitting in Buchanan's old rocking chair outside the back of the Rabbot log-cabin as Missy tended to the plants of their backyard allotment. Her nimble honey-furred fingers tended to the vegetable plants with gentle tenderness as her narrowed soft-brown eyes looked like a contented mother doting on her 'babies'.

'Be a deah sugah-quills an' pass me that ol' wickah basket by yah..' The southern rabbit drawled in her breathy tone, glancing around from a couple of freshly picked carrots she had just plucked from the soil.

'Sure..' Jules responded politely before swivelling around in his seat, careful to avoid hitting his cast off the wooden armrest. He then picked up the basket beside him with his uninjured arm and passed it to the honey-furred rabbit. 'Here you go.' He added with a smile as she approached his side.

'Thank yah kindly.' She uttered lightly, accepting the basket with a smile back before sashaying back to her carrots then placing them in. Missy then bent over her allotment ground with her creamy tail and denim cut-offs in full view, plucking some more vegetables and nestling them in with her baby carrots. Despite the fact that Missy and her husband had only moved in two months previously the honey-furred southern beauty had still managed to use her gentle green-fingers to use the last of the summer harvest sun to her advantage. Missy had grown a few vegetables she had potted and brought with her from her southern allotment, they were being harvested just in time as the late-autumn frost was due to appear in the next week.

'_Oh_.. mah babies are pehfect.' Missy drawled in a soft cooing voice to her basket of vegetables. 'Yah'll gonna make momma very happy this wintah.' The honey-furred rabbit then picked herself up off the now-barren dirt and moved back to where Jules was sitting. 'Well sugah-quills, Ah'll go put this away then Ah'll make us some o' ma momma's good ol'-fashioned gumbo. Ya'll like it Ah promise..' Missy winked at the cobalt-blue hedgehog as she passed him with her basket filled with carrots, potato, marrow and mushrooms with a few onion sprigs sticking out from underneath.

'Missy..' Jules sounded as the southern rabbit approached her doorway. She immediately turned and looked into his warm hazel eyes curiously at her name. '-could we make it at my house, I'm kinda waiting for word from my captain about when I'm supposed to return to work.'

'Sureh hon..' Missy sounded sweetly with a smile. 'Ah'll just put away whit we don't need an' we'll be on ah way.' She immediately sashayed into her kitchen with the basket.

* * *

It didn't take the two of them long to get everything ready for Missy's home-made gumbo. Missy went about creating the base with fat drippings and flour, whisking them thoroughly while Jules swiftly chopped the vegetables. The honey-furred southern rabbit's soft-brown eyes widened in amazement as the sharp-bladed knife blurred in the cobalt hedgehog's white-gloved left hand. In a manner of seconds he had diced the onion and roughly chopped the rest of the vegetables that were destined for the massive pot Missy was attending.

'Oh mah stars..' The honey-furred rabbit-mobian sounded in a tone of quiet awe. Jules wiped his middle-sized vegetable knife clean before noticing that he was being stared at. The cobalt hedgehog blinked confused at her for a moment.

'Huh?' He sounded, completely missing what she was so impressed by since his gift of speed was completely normal to him.

'Humh..' Missy made a single smirking noise of amusement as her soft brown eyes narrowed adoringly at his bemusement. 'Ma momma would love t'have yah in herh kitchen, though yah might nevah leave ahgen if she had herh way.' Her pink-shadowed eyes then returned to the roux she'd been stirring into a thick soup-like concoction.

'Remind me never to pay her a visit then..' Jules threw her a smirk with a kink of his brow before he scooped the unwanted vegetables skins and peelings into a plastic tub for Missy's compost heap.

'Yah a real kick in the teeth, y'know that?' The seventeen year old female rabbit giggled lightly at his words then picked up the chopping board full of vegetables and swiped them into the huge copper-rimmed pot. She then turned away from it, allowing her mixed vegetables to simmer and cook in the brothy mixture. Missy then turned her attention to de-shelling the freshwater shrimps they'd caught earlier; she was a vegetarian herself but respected his omnivorous appetite. Once ready she set them aside along with the bought crabmeat and then prodded the vegetables, testing to see if they were cooking nicely…

…Although it took a further forty minutes to finish the gumbo the Hedgehog log-cabin was filled with laughter as Jules and Missy kept each other entertained. The platonic couple danced to one of Jules' albums by a porcupine group known as The Quills and Missy shared her latest letter from Buchanan that he'd sent from the trenches, editing out the bits that were for her eyes only.

'Alright sugah-quills, hope yah hungry..' Missy finally said as she ladled some of the freshly made gumbo into a soup bowl and served it to the cobalt-blue hedgehog.

'Starved..' Jules drawled lazily from his seat, the rich spicy smell of the gumbo hitting his black nose as Missy then turned to fill herself a bowl of the gumbo she hadn't added meat. The female rabbit turned back to the breakfast nook to see Jules politely waiting for her.

'Aw, yah didn't have t'wait for li'l ol' me. Just dig in.' She added with a smile, seeing he hadn't touched his bowl yet.

'Smells good Missy.' Jules sounded appreciatively, grabbing his fork and digging it into the brothy mixture before scooping out a mouthful of stewed vegetables and shrimp. He immediately pushed the fork into his mouth and made a hum of satisfaction as his taste-buds took in the explosion flavours.

'It shure does an' since it's just us hereh, Ah tell yah the secret to momma's gumbo. It's a pinch of-' The honey-furred female rabbit broke off at the sound of a sharp rap on the front door of the log-cabin. Both she and the cobalt-blue male hedgehog swivelled around to it in surprise. Jules put down his fork, about to answer the door when Missy bounced down off her stool first and put her honey-furred hand up to stop him.

'Nuh-uh, yah just sit hereh an' enjoy yah gumbo. I'll git the doorh.' She then moved swiftly to the main door before he could argue back that they were in his home.

'Ok, fine.' Jules shrugged carelessly, picking up the fork again and getting another mouthful of gumbo. As he chewed his mouthful his blue pointed-ear swivelling in the direction of the door as his excellent hearing listened to the conversation coming from the front door..

'Well hi thereh..' Came Missy's slightly breathy but excitable drawl, greeting whoever had come to call. 'Yah lookin' foh Jules?'

'That's right. My name is Amadeus Prower and it's imperative that I speak with him at once.' The confident yet familiar voice of Captain Prower hit the cobalt-blue teenager's ears and caused his head to swivel around to the doorway, hoping Missy would have the sense to just show him through.

'Well, sureh. He's in the kitchen at the back.' The honey-furred rabbit continued in her friendly drawl. 'Ah'll jist show yah through..'

'Thank you Miss..?' His captain's voice tailed off in an enquiring tone.

'Missus Rabbot.' Missy corrected him kindly. 'Mah husband is fightin' in the warh… This way.' Jules heard the front door shut and the two of them move closer as they continued to talk through the corridor.

'Ah, my apologies Mrs Rabbot. I understand how difficult that must be. My eldest brother Cadmus is also out on the frontlines.' Captain Prower replied in a softer voice, laced with sympathy for the young rabbit's plight.

'Well, Ah wish him luck. Mah husband writes an' tells me that things areh tough out thereh.' Missy said honestly.

'Yes. I have been hearing the same. I will return the sentiments to your husband Mrs Rabbot and hope that he does not follow those who have already been slain in battle.' Captain Prower nodded thoughtfully. The next second the empty doorway that Jules had been staring at while following their conversation filled with the svelte figure of Missy and at the sight of him her serious expression melted into a sweet smile.

'Jules, thereh's a Mistah Prowah hereh to see yah sugah.' She said gently before moving into the room and around the breakfast nook to the kitchen side. Immediately the Captain of the Royal Guard appeared in the doorway.

'Captain Prower..' Jules drawled with both pleasure and surprise at receiving the mobian-fox in his home at such a late hour in the day. He was still wearing his Royal Guard uniform which was odd even though Jules could not picture him wearing anything else. 'What brings you up my neck of the woods, sir?' The cobalt hedgehog added curiously despite suspecting the reason.

'I wouldn't be here if you had answered one of the calls I made earlier.' Captain Prower responded as he folded his arms and lent in the doorway, his bushy fox tail sweeping around his red-booted feet as he did so.

'Yeh..' Jules nodded with understanding. 'Sorry about that sir, y'see-'

'It was mah fault..' Missy suddenly interrupted her cobalt-blue friend and drawing Captain Prower's attention back to her. The honey-furred rabbit then flicked her fringe out of her eyes before continuing. 'We wereh at mah allotment an' Jules remembered yah was callin' so we came back hereh as soon as we could.' At this moment the cobalt-blue seventeen year old hedgehog raised his hand to silence her and the female rabbit instantly stopped speaking.

'Thanks Missy but I can speak for myself.' Jules said calmly as Missy watched with concerned soft-brown eyes. 'I'm sorry I missed your call sir. But still, why come all the way out here just to tell me when I'm returning to work, isn't that a little excessive?' The hedgehog kinked a brow with amusement as he said these words.

'Well, when you failed to answer my calls I finally decided on a whim to come out here to find out for myself how you are.' Amadeus sounded jovially. 'I've got to say, this place is not easy to find, had to make sure I had the right directions before I set off. Beautiful though, I can see why you stay here.' The mobian-fox glanced around the quaint wooden country kitchen they were surrounded by and smiled at its rustic simplicity. 'How is the arm?' His sky-blue eyes turned to Jules' arm as he slid onto the stool beside the cobalt-blue hedgehog.

'It's not too bad. Doesn't hurt like it used to anyway.' Jules responded with a smile as his hazel eyes glanced down at his yellow sling as his cast arm lay comfortably against the counter of the breakfast nook. His bowl of gumbo sitting abandoned now as he spoke to his captain while Missy observed the conversation silently from her seat opposite.

'That's good. Doctor Quack said that once the swelling went down the pain would ease up and you could return to work.' Amadeus sounded lightly.

'So when do I start back?' The cobalt hedgehog sounded keen to return to his duties.

'Tomorrow. General D'Coolette wants you to be back on as the palace will be hosting the debutante ball at the end of the week and we need to run through our security measures for such a prestigious event.'

'Oh great.' The cobalt teenager drawled sarcastically with a half roll of his eyes. The security measures around a royal event were ridiculously high and following them was even tougher. He'd been lucky enough that Hedgington Hall had not held anything up until this point.

'But what does General D'Coolette think I can do with my busted arm?' Jules asked curiously.

'You'll just be running surveillance sweeps with me and the rest of grounds patrol, it's a snap. I'll run you though it when your back tomorrow.' Amadeus sounded with a dismissive wave of his white-gloved hand. 'So what are you two having?' The older mobian-fox added curiously noting the spicy stew-like dish the pair had before them. Instantly reminded that his dinner was getting cold the cobalt hedgehog picked up his fork and shovelled another mouthful of vegetables and seafood into his mouth.

'It's mah home-made gumbo, yah wanna try some?' Missy immediately said, moving to get out of her seat to get another bowl. Jules who had been chewing his mouthful nodded as he swallowed then grinned.

'It's really good, you should try it.' He added brightly, digging his fork in again.

'Aw, thank yah sugah-quills; I knew you'd like it.' The honey-furred rabbit shut her pink-powered eyes and threw a smug smirk in his direction.

'Uh, no thank you. I should be heading off. I promised my wife I'd meet her in town once she'd finished with her news team.' Amadeus responded politely and got off of his stool with the intentions of saying his goodbyes and leaving. The moment he was about to move towards the door a beeping noise went off and the twenty-four year old mobian-fox pulled out a small black communicator and flipped the lid to reveal a keypad and screen. Whatever message had been displayed on the screen caused Amadeus Prower's brow to furrow before he sighed, speedily typed something back then snapped the lid shut and pocketing the device.

'On second thoughts I will have a bowl.' Amadeus immediately sat back down and Jules grinned widely.

'Lemmie guess, MNN's best news reporter has just sniffed out another late-breaking scoop.' The cobalt-blue seventeen year old smirked widely. Just like the rest of his colleges he had been surprised to find out that the Captain of the Royal Guard was married to a journalist, especially since he had never expressed much love for them.

'It would seem so Hedgehog.' Amadeus threw his private a wry smile as Missy placed a bowl in front of him. 'Thank you.' He added as the honey-furred rabbit took her seat again.

'Yah welcome hon.' She sounded warmly before tucking into her own bowl.

'Y'know, since we're not at work you can just call me by my first name.' The seventeen year old hedgehog said warmly, not comfortable being addressed by his surname in such a formal manner in his own home.

'On one condition.' Amadeus said seriously, holding his fork out as he paused from taking his first bite.

'What's that?' Jules sounded curiously, turning his eyes away from his own fork to look at the older mobian-fox.

'You drop the 'sir' and extend me the same courtesy.' Amadeus replied, his smile returning as he took his forkful of food. He instantly made a noise of both surprise and delight at the taste of the stew. 'Now, this is good!' He added warmly to the female rabbit across from him. Missy instantly flushed with pleasure.

'Oh. Thank yah kindly.' She uttered before continuing with her gumbo.

'Deal.' Jules grinned widely at his blushing friend before turning and answering his commanding officer.

* * *

After only a few days back in the palace Jules Hedgehog was beginning to wonder if he'd returned to work too soon. It wasn't the fact that the work was difficult, his broken right arm was a small hindrance it was true but nothing he couldn't handle. His problem was the teasing from some of the other guards about how he had broken it in the first place had started to get under his skin. But the cobalt-blue hedgehog soon found that being injured had managed to gain him a lot of sympathy from the female staff in the palace, especially the chambermaids who were a similar age to him. Pansy Possum and Kitty Carlisle, who were both already smitten with his dashing good-looks, practically pounced on him the first moment they got and clung to the hedgehog eager to please.

'Does it hurt Jules?' The lithe grey-furred mobian-possum sounded adoringly as her arm linked with the cobalt-blue hedgehog's. Pansy's eyelashes fluttered alluringly to him as she lent in. Unfortunately for her Jules wasn't under her spell, he tried to politely move her back before his attention was suddenly drawn to the white-furred mobian-cat who was stood behind him. The fingers of her dainty white hands had slinked onto his chest and were stroking him gently.

'Here, let me straighten your cravat.' She instantly corrected his slightly lop-sided red cravat then flashed him a seductive smirk from behind. 'Now how about a shoulder rub..' She added before her fingers slipped swiftly to his shoulders and began to caress him. At this action Pansy Possum pouted irritably at her partner.

'Hey! I was going to give him a massage!' She squealed in a whiny tone making Jules wince as her high-pitched voice made his eardrums vibrate.

'Well, you snooze you lose.' Kitty said dismissively as her fingers continued to work on the hedgehog who was starting to look uncomfortable.

'Well what am I supposed to rub?' Pansy sounded indignantly and Jules' warm-hazel eyes widened in horror at the possible answer to this.

'Whoa… whoa…' Immediately the cobalt hedgehog wrenched himself out of Kitty's grip and pulled himself away. 'Ladies, please…' Jules raised his uninjured hand in a stopping gesture. '-I appreciate the fuss but really, it's not necessary.' Both mobian-girls didn't appear to be taking his words in. They were just gazing at him with girlish desire as they clasped their hands together in an adoring fashion.

'Aww, he's so modest.' Pansy cooed as her eyes narrowed.

'And so cute..' Kitty added with a flirty smile as her eyelashes batted.

'_Ohh_… let me be your girl.' Pansy suddenly sounded keenly, rushing to a startled Jules and leaning gently on his left shoulder, staring into his warm hazel eyes hopefully.

'No. Pick me. We could have a lot of fun together.' Kitty said with a sly grin as she gripped his uninjured arm.

'I'll be true to you!' The blonde possum-mobian exclaimed immediately making Jules' eyes widen once more in shock at her desperation.

'I'll be true..' The white-furred cat-mobian said before pausing as her eyes rolled up thinking this statement over before then added in a sketchy tone. 'Ish.' The cobalt-blue hedgehog narrowed his eyes towards her but he soon became alarmed when both girls seemed to be pulling on him in a tug-of-war fashion, competing for his attention. This was too much for the patrol officer and his uninjured arm to take as it was starting to ache from all they're jerking tugs. The hedgehog then wrenched himself out of their grips and took several steps backwards so he was now in front of the door, in case he needed to make a swift exit.

'Girls, please. I don't want you fighting over me but the truth is-' Jules started to say, wanting to say that his heart already belonged to someone else, but a loud voice with horribly familiar foreign accent spoke from behind.

''Edgehog! When tu is finishing with chasing ze chambermaids, report to ze ballroom, tu de suite.' General D'Coolette's voice sounded sternly and Jules' blue-furred head and quills whipped around to see that his expression matched his tone. Behind the Royal Guard General was the familiar yellow-furred Argus looking gleefully at his colleague and friend. The mobian-wolf's dark green eyes glanced to his commanding officer who wasn't paying the slightest piece of attention to him before he mouthed 'chasing chambermaids, you dirty dog' with a wicked grin. Jules immediately glared at the accusation General D'Coolette had just made against him.

'I wasn't 'chasing chambermaids' they were hitting on me!' The cobalt-blue hedgehog retorted, still disregarding the two mobian-girls who were two busy gazing at General D'Coolette in a stunned silence to notice him now.

'I am not caring in one slight bit 'Edgehog, tu can be chasing as many chambermaids as tu are wanting but not while on ze time.' The mobian-coyote scowled while tapping his wrist watch impatiently. Argus had to slap a hand in front of his mouth to stop the snicker of amusement from bursting forth at his commanding officer's words. As Jules' warm hazel eyes narrowed with further annoyance at his so-called friend the yellow-furred fox mobian finally managed to control his snickers and resume a professional air.

'Clock, sir.' Argus chipped in at this point, finally drawing the general's sharp deep-blue eyes to him.

'Oh. Whatever. Noh Monsieur Fletcher, why don't tu be going to ze sentry lookout posts and be informing Corporal Peckers of zees meeting.' The French-speaking coyote sounded to the Private beside him before moving down the hall.

'Right away sir.' Argus saluted his general before throwing Jules another grin then sprinting down the hallway towards the stairs to the battlements.

'Yeh, you better run Fletcher.' Jules uttered throwing the mobian-wolf a death-glare then returning his attention to the two teenage chambermaids who had resumed their dreamy staring at him. 'Well, gotta run ladies. See ya!' He sounded before vanishing out in a blur of blue.

'Oohh..' Pansy swooned as her hands clasped together by her head.

'Whatta hedgehog.' Kitty added fanning herself, still looking dreamily at the empty doorway…

...The huge Hedgington Hall ballroom General D'Coolette had assembled the squad of Royal Guards that would be on shift at the night of the debutant ball. Jules found himself seated between Jasper and Argus as General D'Coolette was stood at the head of the group with Captain Prower talking about what would be happening in a few nights time.

'Noh, I will not be on dutee on ze night of ze debutant. 'Owever I will be in attendance with moi cheri Marie so I will be seeing everyzing zat is, how you say, going down.' The mobian-coyote twiddled his thin blonde moustache seriously.

'Figures ol' frenchie couldn't stay away for one night.' Jules murmured to himself as he wrapped his uninjured arm around his cast, cradling it gently. He wasn't really taking much of what General D'Coolette was saying, instead he was wondering idly if his commanding officer was going to finish this staff meeting before his appointment with Dr Quack to have his cast removed and redressed.

'Hey Jules. Argus tells me D'Coolette caught you frisking the chambermaids.' Jasper narrowed his light green eyes with a jesting grin as his mobian-wolf best friend smirked in amusement.

'I was _not!_' The cobalt-blue hedgehog hissed crossly, grabbing the black mobian-cat by his red cravat.

'Tu 'ave somezing to add 'Edgehog?' General D'Coolette sounded in a slightly jaded French drawl. Jules turned his blue head and quills to find his general looking at him with narrowed eyes as Captain Prower merely shook his head in disbelief. In addition to this the entire squad of Royal Guard officers were staring at him.

'_Uhh_…' The cobalt seventeen year-old patrol officer flashed a suddenly self-conscious grin, revealing his chipped premolar. 'No. not really, sir.' He added uncomfortably.

'Zen stop mobian-handling Monsieur Jacks and be paying attention.' The mobian-coyote sounded sternly as he placed his hands on his hips and scowled firmly. Jules immediately let go of Jasper's cravat and smoothed it flat with one large white-gloved hand.

'Sorry sir.' The cobalt hedgehog added and resumed his seated position in between his two work buddies, allowing General D'Coolette to continue running through the extra security measures for all the dignitaries in attendance at the debutant ball.

* * *

Jules Hedgehog cursed mildly and raised his uninjured white-gloved hand to his mouth and blew some heat into it before reaching down his huge navy coat, moving underneath his white and red striped scarf and covering his broken arm better from the freezing air. He shivered slightly and gripped the front of his overcoat better, holding it shut as his sling and arm-cast meant it wouldn't fasten properly. Winter had definitely begun. It was a dark frosty evening the night of the royal debutant ball and the entire west-side windows of the ballroom were lit up behind him as the faint notes of the string orchestra and sooty laughter could be heard. Jules' hazel eyes narrowed in slight tedium as they scanned the bare and frozen rear gardens of the palace before his head tilted upwards towards the dark sky. The stars and moon were hidden behind a thick blanket of cloud and the Mobius News Network had predicted that the first snow should fall some point this evening. Jules did not fully understand how those behind the weather report were able to predict the upcoming climates but he knew by the weather-meters sitting on one of the window ledges of his brother's studio-lab meant Charles did. The cobalt hedgehog, like most others in Knothole, just took the weather as it came. If for any reason he did want to know what the weather was like the next day Jules would ask his brother. He'd found Charles' predictions to be far more accurate than the national weather report, though amazingly, today his brother had come up with a similar prediction to the news. Jules' hazel eyes studied the thick grey clouds which were slightly lighter than the deep navy sky itself. They did look like snow clouds and the climate was perfect for the flakes, perhaps the notables inside would get lucky and the first snow would happen soon. The cobalt-blue hedgehog then blinked as if coming back to a sense of reality and his hazel eyes turned to the faint music strings and pretentious laughter coming from the debutant ball inside. Like those rich snobs were going to be impressed with the simple beauty behind the first fall of snowflakes…

* * *

Inside the toasty warm ballroom the string quartet was playing its classical piece as many of the high society guests were murmuring quietly away. At the double-door entrance to the room from the grand hallway stood the royal announce; still loudly announcing many guests that were entering the room. Standing nervously to one side was a slim but pretty echidna with soft red fur and matching quills that were braided with ribbons and pinned back into a low bun that rested on her shoulder-blades. Her soft green eyes could see Lord and Lady Montclair, a couple of incredibly wealthy blonde-furred minks, conversing with the Duke of Verron who had just asked the couple on how their new-born son was.

'Oh dear little Bartleby is doing absolutely splendidly thank you for asking..' Lord Montclair was saying in a low nasally drawl with a contented smile. '-but, naturally, we couldn't bring him, could we dearest?' He added to his wife and the female mink looked just as smug as her husband.

'Oh my no.' Lady Montclair added in a snobbish drawl of her own. 'Our little Barty isn't ready to be exposed to the public yet and we wouldn't dream of overwhelming him.'

'Oh good heavens, we wouldn't want him doing anything to embarrass us, he's better off with his nannies for now..' Lord Montclair added making the almost sixteen year old echidna frown slightly at the incredibly snobby mink couple.

'Miss Le..' The sound of her surname being called politely made the female echidna in a soft green ball-gown turn to see another teenage echidna with brown-fur and quills dressed in a smart blue suit approach her with a smile. Lara-Le couldn't help but flush with pleasure as he took her hand respectively and kissed it before speaking again. 'It does my heart good to see you again Lara; I do hope you have been keeping well.'

'Wynmacher..' The female echidna smiled warmly at her friend. 'It is wonderful to see you again. I have been keeping very well, thank you for asking. What about yourself?'

'Ohh..' He sighed heavily looking momentary down before smiling again. 'My father has been keeping me busy but then, that's nothing new. I hear your father is looking to find you a provider?' His subtle question made Lara-Le blush even though it shouldn't have surprised her that Wynmacher Mace would learn of this.

'Um, y-yes... yes he is.' She stammered making her slight embarrassment more obvious.

'I did not mean to intrude Lara, I was merely curious as to who he had in mind as a match.' Wynmacher said gently as he stood beside her at a respectful distance with his hands behind his back.

'I do not know who father has in mind.' Lara-Le replied gently as her soft-green eyes glanced around to her father. Ambassador Zayden and his wife Lady Mimi-Le were conversing happily with a couple of the other dignitaries not too far away. 'But I'm sure whomever he picks he will pick because he believes it is a smart match.' She added in a soft submissive tone that made Wynmacher frown with concern towards her.

'And who would you pick as a provider given the choice?' He asked gently but before she could respond to his very forward question her attention, just like everyone else's in the room, was caught by the sound of trumpets and the royal announcer.

'Ladies and Gentlemobians; announcing his Royal Highness King Ogilvie the Third of Mobius.' At this announcement silence befell the room and all the eyes of the dignitaries turned towards the royal hedgehog. The King of Mobius was wearing a smart white suit along with his red cape and royal crown. Once he'd descended the steps down from the main doors many of the dignitaries bowed as he passed them, the royal green-quilled hedgehog nodding his head politely and greeting the gathering of dignitaries that were eager to converse with their king. A little way away from him Lara-Le could clearly see King Ogilvie's oldest friend General D'Coolette and his wife Madame Marie D'Coolette conversing with the new mayor, a light-brown-furred fox-mobian by the name of Maximilloin Acorn. Accompanying Mayor Acorn to this debutant was his intended sweetheart who was a very pretty mobian-chipmunk. She had long copper-red head-fur which was set in ringlets and bright sapphire-blue eyes that complimented her svelte navy dress. The girl-mobian, who couldn't have been much older than Lara-Le herself was looking incredibly nervous, clearly it was her first time at such an important social event. But despite her nerves she seemed to be holding well with the nobles around her, almost as if she were determined to prove she could fit in.

'My apologies Lara, I did not mean to be so forward with you.' Wynmacher's voice suddenly spoke, drawing Lara-Le's attention back to the brown-furred echidna beside her. 'I was merely curious but your right; it isn't my place to ask such questions.'

'Oh. No it's fine Wynmacher; I don't know who I would pick but the question is irrelevant since my father is choosing my provider.' She said calmly, finding his curiosity pointless and folding her arms with a slight frown marring her pretty face.

'Yes. I suppose it is.' The brown-furred echidna said in agreement, closing his dark-blue eyes as an unreadable line pressed his lips. His eyes opened once more and turned to the stairs at the entrance of the double-doors as the trumpets sounded once more…

* * *

…Deciding to move on with his patrol the cobalt-blue hedgehog moved his feet over the frosted sandstone paving slabs, enjoying the satisfying crunch of the frost on the thick sole of his red boots. As Jules wandered around the conical-pyramid palace something cold and wet hit his left pointed-ear making it twitch before his hazel eyes looked upwards again to see the first flakes of white falling towards him. The seventeen year old hedgehog smiled widely and shut his eyes, letting the first of the snowflakes hit his face. Winter had always been his favourite time of the year, especially when the snow arrived with its promise of snowball fights, sledging and other fun winter activities that could turn even Charles into a hedgehoglet again. Once the tiny white flakes had started to fall there seemed to be no stopping them and the palace grounds were soon covered in a light dusting of white powdery snow while more kept falling.

At this moment he heard the trumpets signalling the second royal announcement of the evening. Jules opened his eyes and turned towards the large full-length window, from which he could clearly see the stairs to the main double-doors of the ballroom and he was just in time to see them open. In that moment the lilac-furred royal hedgehog was revealed to the room and to the cobalt male's warm hazel eyes. Jules had not seen the Princess of Mobius since returning to work at the start of the week. She had been away from the palace with her father in Albion, speaking with the Echidnae High Council in regards to their position concerning Mobius' war with the Overlanders. But with all the guards that had not been on duty for the debutant ball had been on the king's elite guard and were off duty this evening.

'Announcing her Royal Highness Princess Aleena of Mobodoon..' The announcer's voice sounded and the petit lilac-furred hedgehog moved delicately into the light of the ballroom. Jules couldn't help but gaze at her, now completely dismissing the snowflakes that were still floating down and steadily getting faster. The lilac-furred princess smiled serenely as she moved to the top of the steps down to the ballroom. She was wearing a pearly white dress that stopped just below her feet complete with white and pink embroidered corset. Her blonde head-quills were pinned up in a tight bun while a loose side-bang hung over her face.

'_Whoa_..' Jules breathed out in a quiet whisper of admiration as he watched Princess Aleena step gracefully down the stairs, lifting the hem of her dress just enough to reveal a dainty lilac-furred ankle. She was breath-taking; he could feel his heart thump hard against his ribcage as he watched her approach the crowd smiling gracefully as she greeted her peers. He had almost forgotten about the cold night air and the snow falling down thick and fast now, covering the ground in a thin white blanket. But his heart congealed a little, remembering that they could never be. They were from two different worlds, tonight only served as solidifying proof of that. His ears dipped slightly and he pulled away from the window, unable to watch anymore…

…Suddenly the sound of the glass double-doors banging open caused Jules' head and blue-quills to swivel around in time to see a figure appear out into the rear patio of the palace.

'Oh _wow_..' The silhouetted female breathed in awe at the falling flakes of powdery snow in such a familiar voice it made Jules narrow his eyes and scrutinize her. The female then turned back and moved slightly into the light as someone back in the ballroom caught her attention. 'I'll be back in a minute Max; I just want to see the snow.' She called out with a smile on her light-tanned muzzle and soft-brown fur. Upon seeing her copper-red ringlets and svelte figure wrapped up in a tight navy dress Jules couldn't help but stare.

'_Alice?_' The cobalt-blue hedgehog sounded, unable to stop himself due to his surprise at the sight of his ex-girlfriend after not seeing her since they split up a year and two months ago. At the sound of this familiar nickname the red-headed chipmunk-mobian whipped around to see the cobalt-blue hedgehog gazing at her in amazement.

'Oh my gosh.. _Juice!_' Alicia's eyes widened in shock before a wide smile curved her light-tanned muzzle and the female chipmunk-mobian tottered over to her ex-boyfriend as fast as the slippery snow-covered ground would allow. Though with her heels moving in the snow proved tricky and just as she was approaching the cobalt-blue hedgehog Alicia's foot slipped and she skidded, flailing her arms. 'Wuh-_woo_..' She squealed and Jules instantly moved forward and caught her around the middle with his one good arm, the grips of his red-rubber boots keeping him upright. Alicia's arms clasped his shoulders as her feet stopped sliding and her copper-red head fell into the hedgehog's shoulder. In that moment the light-brown-furred mobian-chipmunk's senses were filled with the familiar smell of his zesty aftershave and it brought back many cherished memories of their dating days. Her sapphire-blue eyes automatically closed as she hugged Jules while taking in his scent.

'Careful..' The cobalt-blue hedgehog said gently as his uninjured arm held her mid-back, keeping the seventeen year old mobian-chipmunk steady. At the sound of his rich voice Alicia opened her blue eyes and pulled away from her ex-boyfriend's shoulder to look into his face.

'Heh.. Thanks Juice.' The female chipmunk-mobian said as snowflakes landed in her neat copper-red ringlets, adding flecks of white to her neat furdo. Slowly Alicia pulled away from Jules, instantly regretting this move as his body heat had warded off the cold night air.

'It's good to see you again.' She added lightly as she raised her light-brown-furred hands and rubbed her bare shoulders. Her fur was fine and not nearly long enough to cope with the winter chill.

'It's nice to see you too.' Jules replied with genuine sincerity before noticing how cold she looked and he frowned in concern at his ex-girlfriend. 'Here, you want my jacket? You must be freezing.' The cobalt-blue hedgehog gestured to the navy overcoat he was wearing, about to shrug it off for her.

'Oh. I don't know if I should, won't it be a bit weird if I take your jacket?' Alicia Chipmunk responded unsurely. She _was_ freezing but this was her ex-boyfriend who she had unceremoniously dumped at the end of their school years together after discovering he was not particularly fussed about his future, or theirs. Immediately Jules Hedgehog frowned at his ex-girlfriend, if there was two things about her he did not miss it was her insane ability to rationalize and overthink everything while being almost as stubborn as him.

'Alice..' He said in the same plain and straight-talking voice he always used to make her see his point. 'Just take the jacket before you freeze, ok?' He'd already shrugged the overcoat off and was holding it out to her with his one good arm.

'Ok.' Alicia relented and took the overcoat from him and slipped it on, pulling her copper-red ringlets loose from the collar and hugging herself with a smile, shutting her eyes and allowing his warmth to heat her up. When she opened her eyes she couldn't help but notice his bright yellow sling. The hedgehog was now using his old white and red striped scarf to stop the snow from wetting his arm-cast by wrapping it around the bandaging.

'How did you break your arm?' Alicia asked, returning her sapphire-blue eyes to her ex-boyfriend and throwing him a look of concern now. 'Cocoa told me you'd broken it but she wouldn't tell me how.' This made Jules' neat brows rise in surprise, Cocoa Cat the Gossip Queen of Mobotroplis had not told her best friend this titillating piece of information?

'I fell out a tree and landed on it awkwardly.' Jules responded in a nonchalant drawl, not wishing to enlighten his ex-girlfriend that it was actually because he'd been knocked out of said tree by the Princess of Mobius.

'Ouch.' Alicia clasped her fingers over her mouth and winced at this pityingly. 'How long do you have to keep the cast on?'

'Got another three weeks then the cast comes off and I have physio for a further four weeks to help my arm get back in shape.' The cobalt-blue hedgehog said in an offhanded manner before changing the subject, his expression turning slightly more serious. 'So I heard from Cocoa you've been seeing some older mobian. Is this who 'Max' is?' Jules kinked a brow as his hazel eyes narrowed towards her.

'Um, yes. We met at the Mobian Council building. You remember how I applied for the job of council court scribe? Well I got it. Max used to intern under the Minister of Education, at least he did until he was nominated for mayor candidacy. I then helped him out with his campaign where we got to know each other better and he asked me out. I really think you'd like him Juice, he's a really down to Mobius guy.' Alicia was smiling while looking off in a slightly dreamy fashion. Her words made Jules blink with the sudden realisation of just who she was talking about.

'Wait a nanosec. Mayoral candidacy? You mean that your Max is actually-' The hedgehog didn't get to finish his sentence as at this point a voice called out from the double-doors further down the palace patio.

'Alicia! You still out here?' The sound of this upper-class male voice caused both Alicia and Jules to turn their heads and see a light-brown mobian fox standing in a mid-blue suit with and yellow tie, wearing black shoes with white spats. Whereas Alicia smiled warmly at him Jules couldn't help but stare at the mobian in front of him… this was none other than Mayor Maximillion Acorn.

'I'm over here Max, but can you give me a few more minutes? I'm just catching up with an old friend.' Alicia waved to her new partner and Jules kinked a brow at her and leaned in with a mischievous grin.

'Don'tcha mean old _boy_friend..' The cobalt-blue hedgehog purred in her soft-brown pointed ear and it twitched causing the mobian-chipmunk to swivel her red-head around and scowl at him.

'_Shoosh..!_' She hissed back, her sapphire blue eyes flashing a warning glare as her lips twisted into an irritable pout. Jules couldn't help but grin at Alicia's expression of annoyance, winding her up had always been fun since she took things so seriously. At her words Maximillion Acorn rolled his light-blue eyes in a slightly jaded manner but eventually flashed his sweetheart a light smile, relenting to her request.

'Alright Alicia darling but don't stay out too long, I don't want you catching a chill. Besides, I was hoping we might partake in a dance before the evening is out.' The light-brown-furred mobian-fox sounded in a posh upper-class tone. He then turned back around and entered the ballroom with a regal wave to his beloved. Alicia gave a small wave back before her attention was caught by Jules' childish snickering.

'Oh yes. Now tell me, which dance shall you be 'partaking in' my dear Alice. Shall it be the foxtrot?' The cobalt-blue seventeen year old hedgehog said in a mock-snooty accent before snorting into laughter. This caused Alicia's eyes to narrow further and her hands went to the waist of his navy overcoat.

'Shut up Juice!' She fizzed with irritation. The female chipmunk-mobian knew Jules was only teasing her and she could just about handle him poking fun at her. However she wasn't going to let him make fun of her new boyfriend without knowing who he was first.

'_Whoa_.. Alright, cool it girl. I was only kidding..' The cobalt-blue hedgehog raised his uninjured hand in a form of defeat, not wishing to insight another argument so soon after reconciling with her. 'I see your just as uptight as I remember..' He added with a small sigh before flinching, expecting her to punch him for such a remark but amazingly Alicia suddenly flashed a devious smile.

'And your still as annoying as I remember..' She threw back and her comment made Jules grin widely, flashing the chip in his premolar.

'Hey, I'd say I try but you know me, I don't have to.' The hedgehog said lightly with a shrug.

'Uh-huh.' Alicia sounded in agreement before changing the subject. 'So Cocoa's told me that you've been mooning over some girl called Bernadette. Is this true?' Her sapphire-blue eyes suddenly looked keen for information. Jules could sense by her tone that she'd clearly been curious about this for quite some time and was using this chance meeting to find out the truth. The cobalt-blue hedgehog gave a low groan and slapped his blue-furred forehead, trying best to think how best to explain this mess to his ex-girlfriend.

'_Uh_, yeh I was… but I had to break things off with her.' Jules finally responded, his eyes narrowed and his shoulders sagged as his cobalt pointed-ears dipped a little. 'Things are just too complicated for it to ever really work out between us.' Immediately Alicia Chipmunk's sapphire-blue eyes softened in pity and she moved closer to the cobalt-blue hedgehog and placed a hand on his shoulder.

'Too complicated?' The red-headed chipmunk-mobian asked gently then frowned in slight concern. 'I don't understand, I heard you liked this girl..' Jules let out a heaving sigh as Alicia rubbed his shoulder in a cajoling manner.

'I did, I mean, I do…' The cobalt-blue hedgehog corrected himself instantly, his warm-hazel eyes looking down at his scarf-covered cast which was surrounded by his snow-dusted sling. '-but like I said; it's complicated.'

'Do you wanna talk about it?' Alicia offered gently her blue eyes still studying him. 'You know you can trust me to be honest with you.' She added sincerely throwing him a coaxing smile. Jules threw her a scrutinizing look wondering vaguely why she still cared about him after all this time. However the hedgehog eventually relented, he needed some female perspective on this and Alicia was right, she was the best mobian to give him it. Jules then pulled out his golden pocket-watch and checked to see how long he had until he was due to do a perimeter sweep.

'I guess we have time. You mind if we walk and talk Alice, I need to continue my security check.' Jules said, throwing his ex-girlfriend a small smile back then offered his uninjured arm to the female chipmunk-mobian who accepted it immediately.

'Sure..' She replied sweetly and the two of them began to walk away from the lights and noise of the debutant ball…

* * *

The snow had let up a little as Jules Hedgehog walked slowly with his ex-girlfriend Alicia Chipmunk. It was now only floating down from the dark sky in a light powder which barely made any difference to the thin blanket of white covering the palace grounds. The moment the pair of seventeen year old mobians left the lit-up patio the cobalt-hedgehog pulled out his torch from his bright-red utility belt so they could still see their surroundings. Occasionally Jules would flash the light in a darkened corner or disappear for a few seconds to check out a blind spot in their path. As the two teenagers walked along, Jules told Alicia about 'Bernadette' while keeping out the vital detail of her being the king's daughter. By the time the two of them had turned back and returned to the patio light up by the ballrooms lit-up windows the cobalt hedgehog had finished catching Alicia up with his situation.

'I still don't understand Juice..' Alicia finally spoke in a soft voice as the inside of the ballroom came to view as they passed the first floor-length window. Jules had now been walking with his one good hand behind his back. A faint shiver ran over the hedgehog as he had given up his overcoat, this meant the cold night-air was starting to seep into his blue fur and uniform. '-if you really like this girl why did you break it off?' The female chipmunk-mobian gripped his white-gloved hand stopping him from walking any further.

'Because we're from two completely different worlds Alice!' Jules hissed back, only raising his voice enough to make his anger obvious. 'Haven't you been listening?'

'Of course I have..' Alicia said in a placating voice, her hands moved to his shoulders to stop the blue hedgehog from walking again. 'But if you really like this girl Juice, her background shouldn't stop you from pursuing her. Look at me and Max, we're from two different worlds but we still manage to make it work.'

'_Rrrr…!_' Jules growled irritably in the back of his throat and swiped her hands away before swivelling around with a sulky pout. 'You just don't get it! It's not that simple!' He wished he could fold his arms but instead all the cobalt-blue hedgehog could do was lay his uninjured arm on top of his scarf-covered cast and drum it gently.

'Then explain it to me.' Alicia said, moving beside him and gazing at him with concerned sapphire-blue eyes.

'I…' Jules began before tailing off sighing and hanging his cobalt-blue head in shame. '-can't.'

'Whadda you mean you can't?' The light-furred female chipmunk scowled at her ex-boyfriend and immediately Jules lifted his head giving her a pained look from deep within his hazel eyes.

'It's complicated.' He said, his gaze steeling over slightly as he tried to harbour his emotions once more.

'So you keep saying Juice but that doesn't really explain anything.' Alicia responded gently moving to touch him consolingly but he slapped her hand away with his one good arm.

'Why do you care?' Jules suddenly snapped angrily, voicing his curiosity about why she wanted to help him figure this out.

'I've always cared, even after we split up.' The mobian-chipmunk said softly looking slightly hurt by the fact that he seemed to think she didn't. 'In fact, the truth is I have missed hanging out with both you and the guys.'

'Really?' Jules kinked a brow curiously at this statement and the female chipmunk nodded eagerly.

'Of course. You guys were always such fun to be with and I was so jealous when Cocoa told me they were all going up to Knothole for your birthday.' Alicia said with a sweet smile towards him.

'Can I ask you something Alice?' The cobalt hedgehog was suddenly looking very serious now.

'Anything.' The female chipmunk-mobian replied keeping her expression solemn as she had a feeling that she knew what he was going to ask.

'Was I really such a bad guy?' Jules asked her in a tone which had a subtle hint of curiosity and fear. This was obviously something that had been bothering him for quite some time but now she was here to answer him. Alicia realised that this must be a small part of why Jules was not pursuing Bernadette. He needed to know what he'd done wrong with her.

'No, you weren't a bad guy Juice.' The red-headed chipmunk replied with a short sigh, leaning back on the two-foot stone-partition separating the patio from the drop to the lower-gardens. 'You were very sweet to me when you were around but I kinda got the impression that you'd just rather be off with your friends than spend time with me.' Alicia said softly her hands suddenly clasped together in the lap of the large navy overcoat she was wearing. 'You always seem to just live in the moment. It's not a bad thing Juice but it was never what I wanted. I wanted a future.'

'And I couldn't give you that.' The cobalt-blue hedgehog narrowed his eyes in disbelief.

'No. No. That's not what I meant..' Alicia said instantly, lifting her hands and waving them dismissively. 'We just wanted different things. But when we broke up I always wanted us to remain friends.' She them lent in and set her small hand on top of his bandaged hand. 'I still want that.' Jules looked into her pretty sapphire-blue eyes and smiled at her.

'Yeh. I'd like that too.' The cobalt-blue hedgehog sounded amiably as his unbound hand rested on top of hers.

'So, as your friend, tell me why things are so complicated with this Bernadette girl.' Alicia added seriously, getting straight back to the matter at hand. Immediately Jules sighed and broke hand-contact with her.

'Nothing deters you, does it?' He said and Alicia shook her light-furred head making her copper-red ringlets sprinkle the snowflakes on her head. 'Alright Alice, here it is in a nutshell. Bernadette comes from this really posh family, right? With really old traditions and a huge amount is expected of her when she gets older-'

'Is she here tonight?' Alicia interrupted in a gentle voice throwing the blue hedgehog a curious look.

'Yeh, she is I glimpsed her earlier.' Jules answered before continuing. 'Anyway, she's such a high-class honey that everyone in her family's circle will be expecting her to marry some rich bozo who can take care of her. Y'know, it wouldn't even surprise me if that's what this ball was really about, trying to find her a guy..' This last statement was saying far more to Alicia than Jules had meant it to. The female chipmunk-mobian gazed at the ex-boyfriend in disbelief at his words before noticing that his hazel eyes were staring off towards the inside of the ballroom window. Following his gaze Alicia noticed that Jules seemed to be absent-mindedly following the blonde-quilled Princess of Mobius as she was chatting amiably with her father and the D'Coolette's.

'Jules, do you still like this girl?' The light-brown chipmunk-mobian asked directly and Jules immediately ripped his eyes away from the princess to look at Alicia. The cobalt-blue hedgehog let out a quiet sigh and closed his eyes for a long moment before his hazel eyes opened again.

'I do..' Jules finally replied. It felt weird to actually admit it out loud but the moment he had he felt like a small section of the weight in his heart had lifted.

'Then you have to tell her.' Alicia said bluntly.

'But I haven't got anything to offer her and think what the nobles in there say-'

'Since when did you start caring what a bunch of upper-class narks thought?' The female chipmunk-mobian got up and kinked a brow intrigued by this new humble side to Jules, though unfortunately it wasn't the side she wanted to see. She wanted him to be the same cocky hedgehog that had won her affections just over four years ago. Alicia immediately gripped his hand and smiled at her ex-boyfriend. 'Listen Juice, this girl must see wealth and power every day, right? You can offer her something more than that, the chance to just be a girl. Trust me, that's worth more than all the jewels in the world.' She smiled widely at him and Jules blinked, considering what she was saying to him. Perhaps he had been looking at this all wrong.

'Alicia..' The sound of a familiar upper-class voice sounded and immediately the two seventeen year old mobians turned to see Maximillion Acorn standing by the open glass doors. 'Are you ready to come inside?' He asked as both Alicia and Jules headed over towards the fox-mobian in the blue suit.

'Yes I am.' Alicia sounded with a smile before shrugging off Jules' heavy overcoat and handing it back to her ex-boyfriend. 'Max I want you to meet Jules Hedgehog. I've told you about him before..' She added sweetly to the fox-mobian who had automatically wrapped an arm around her bare shoulders and began rubbing them lightly.

'_Ah!_ Yes, yes, I remember. Jules it's nice to finally meet you, Alicia always speaks very highly of you..' Maximillion sounded warmly, shaking hands with the cobalt hedgehog's uninjured left hand. 'As does my cousin.'

'Your cousin?' Jules asked curiously and immediately Maximillion's grin twisted.

'Amadeus Prower.' The fox-mobian replied lightly.

'Oh. Oh right. He's your cousin? Wow… he sure likes to keep that quiet.' Jules blinked in amazement.

'I'm not surprised. Amadeus is a very private mobian.' Maximillion responded lazily.

'And just what ees going on outside here, hmm?' A familiar French accent sounded causing Jules to groan inwardly as General D'Coolette appeared from behind the three of them. ''Edgehog, what are tu doing, tu 'ave a perimeter sweep to be performing, oui?' The coyote-mobian threw his on-duty private a stern glare.

'Uh, yup, sure do. Was just leaving in fact.' Jules responded but Alicia immediately spoke up.

'Oh. I'm sorry General D'Coolette, you must forgive me. I'm the one who distracted Jules from his duties. You see, he's an old friend who I haven't seen for quite some time and I dragged Max out here to meet him.' She sounded innocently enough and Jules wanted to slap his face with disbelief while Maximillion was also gazing at her in surprise.

'Eees zat so Mademoiselle Cheepmunk?' The Royal Guard General eyed her shrewdly, as if trying to determine whether or not she was trustworthy. 'Being zat as eet may, eet ees not changing zee fact that 'Edgehog is on dutee..' He added folding his arms while still looking sternly.

'Now steady on Armand..' Maximillion began, raising his hand to the general's shoulder. 'There was no harm done.'

'I am not caring Monsieur Acorn, he is supposed to be guarding zee palace-' General D'Coolette's words were suddenly cut off by a regal accent coming from the glass doorway.

'And _you_ are supposed to be inside with your wife..' Immediately everyone's eyes turned to see the green-quilled King of Mobius standing with a slight frown directed at his old friend. '-isn't that right old boy?' The mobian-coyote deflated immediately at the sight of his ruler and best friend with his arms folded. The sight would have been comical if the situation was less serious.

'But mon majeste..' General D'Coolette drawled in a simpering tone complete with wide grin. 'I was merely taking care of ze business.'

'Armand… it is Captain Prower's job to keep the privates in line tonight, not yours. _Your_ duty is to your wife, now come along before I turn this into a royal order.' King Ogilvie the Third flashed his friend a momentary warning look and General D'Coolette sighed heavily. Sometimes he hated having a king for a best friend.

'Oui, mon majeste..' He drawled before flashing Jules a frown then turning his attention to Alicia and Maximillion. 'Allez, allez.. let us be going inside.' He waved his hands in an ushering manner. Alicia flashed Jules a quick wave while mouthing 'bye' while Max nodded politely then the pair allowed themselves to be herded inside the ballroom. The doors then shut and Jules was once more out in the cold alone. He smiled lightly to himself as he unwound his scarf from his cast then put in back around his neck before heading off to perform his perimeter sweep.

* * *

The night moved on without any more surprises and soon enough the dignitaries and other debutant guests had gone home. It was at this point Jules Hedgehog appeared in the grand hallway looking for Captain Prower so he could be relieved of duty for the evening. Due to his final perimeter sweep of the grounds he was now the last officer besides his captain left on palace grounds. As Jules moved further down the hallway he found King Ogilvie the Third with his daughter and the D'Coolettes saying goodnight to each other. As he got closer Marie D'Coolette was hugging Princess Aleena while General D'Coolette was speaking with Captain Prower. The green-quilled monarch seemed to be watching his friend with narrowed maroon eyes.

'Bonne nuit ma belle, et fais surtout de beaux reves.' The light-tanned wife of General D'Coolette was saying her goodnight to the lilac-furred princess in French, hugging her tightly.

'Merci Marie, bonne nuit.' Princess Aleena replied with a smile hugging her back just as tight. Jules gazed in amazement at the fact that the blonde-quilled female hedgehog had just spoken French but he couldn't deny that her regal accent made it sound very arousing. The cobalt hedgehog suddenly blinked, mentally slapping himself for letting his restraint slip a little. He couldn't help how he felt, he'd spent the last three months trying to deny and ignore his feelings but Alicia had been right. If there was even the slightest chance that he and Princess Aleena could be together he had to take it… but first he had to find out if she still had feelings for him.

'And how was everyzing zees evening Capteen Prower, satisfactoree I am 'oping?' The tan-furred mobian-coyote asked curiously. The golden-furred mobian-fox smiled warmly at his commanding officer.

'Yes, everything went smoothly.' Captain Prower replied amiably, the hint of pride in his voice unmistakable.

'Ees zat so..' General D'Coolette added with a kink of the eyebrow. 'And what about 'Edgehog? You plan to be 'aving ze word with him?'

'About what?' Captain Prower frowned confused to his general as King Ogilvie, who'd been saying goodnight to Madame D'Coolette, paused and turned his attention to his old friend.

'About socializing on ze job..' The coyote-mobian sounded with a scowl.

'No sir. I never witnessed anything of the sort but even if I had it did not interfere with how he performed his duties so I have no reason to call him on it.' Captain Prower added in a serious voice, folding his white-gloved hands across his chest defiantly. Jules couldn't help but feel a sudden rush of respect for his captain who was willing to defend him against General D'Coolette.

'Cest que ce?' The French coyote-mobian sounded, his scowl deepening towards his lower ranking officer.

'_Armand_..' King Ogilvie's voice drawled as he approached his workaholic friend from behind and rested a hand on his shoulder. 'We've been over this already my friend; Captain Prower is in charge tonight.' General D'Coolette's deep blue eyes narrowed at his king's words.

'_Urhh_…' The mobian-coyote gave a deep dissatisfied groan. 'Oui mon majeste..' His eyes then caught a glimpse of movement just inside their peripheral vision and immediately General D'Coolette turned his head slightly, spotting Jules approaching with what he viewed as a moronic smile. 'Speaking of ze bleu fuel..' He muttered to himself.

'Sir, don't you think it's time you escorted your wife home?' Captain Prower suggested at this point. 'Jules and I can handle the final lockdown.'

'That is an excellent suggestion captain.' King Ogilvie declared brightly before wrapping an arm around the tan-furred thirty-six year old coyote-mobian.

'Oui Armand, il se fait tard.' Marie D'Coolette sounded as both her hands wrapped around her husband's arm. General D'Coolette turned his gaze to his wife as the lithe French womobian smiled sweetly to her husband. Immediately the coyote-mobian's face softened towards his wife, noticing how tired she was now.

'Aright.. tu boys are winning.' The coyote-mobian drawled as Marie D'Coolette cuddled into her husband and they linked arms. He then turned his deep blue eyes to his wife adding lightly. 'Allez bein au domicile de la tete de let.' The pair then walked down the hall towards the main front door of Hedgington Hall.

'Au revoir..' Both D'Coolettes said together and General D'Coolette flashed both Amadeus and Jules a fleeting glance before the couple left the palace behind.

'Hedgehog..' Captain Prower's voice suddenly sounded professionally, he seemed more relaxed now that his commanding officer had gone home. '-why don't you escort the princess to her chambers then you are relieved of duty. I can take care of palace security..' He then glanced towards King Ogilvie the Third and added lightly. 'Does this meet with your approval sire?' The King of Mobius smiled at Captain Prower warmly.

'Absolutely my dear boy and when you're done locking the palace join me in the study and we'll toast a nightcap.' The green-quilled monarch grinned at the Captain of the Royal Guard.

'Thank you your majesty, I would be honoured to join you.' Amadeus Prower nodded as he pulled out the keys to the palace and headed out towards the main gate to the lock it. The King of Mobius smiled before turning to Princess Aleena and Private Jules.

'Goodnight you two..' He said in a low pleasant tone which subtly signalled it was time to go to bed.

'Goodnight sire..' Jules said amiably as King Ogilvie the Third headed up to the first floor where his private study was located.

'Goodnight daddy..' Princess Aleena added with a sweet smile to her father.

* * *

The two teenage hedgehogs waited until the King of Mobius was out of sight and they were completely alone in the massive hallway. Jules then turned to the lilac-furred princess standing beside him and gazed at her for a long moment. Princess Aleena smiled at him sweetly as his hazel eyes flicked over her dress and the large pink heart necklace she was wearing.

'You look... amazing Aleena.' The cobalt-blue hedgehog sounded in reverence, unable to take his warm-hazel eyes off of her. His white-gloved hand moved as if he was going to touch her waist then thought better of it.

'Thank you Jules.' She murmured in a slightly breathless manner, her heart skipped with joy as she watched him continue to gaze through narrowed eyes at her. His pupils then turned to the large pink heart necklace. This time the fingers of his uninjured hand moved to touch the necklace, grazing her collarbone as he lifted it to examine it closely. Princess Aleena's breath hitched with slight excitement at his touch.

'It's called the Heart of Mobius..' The lilac-furred royal hedgehog informed Jules as he looked at it. 'My father gave it to my mother as an engagement present then passed it on to me on my sixteenth birthday.' The cobalt male hedgehog then let the pink-diamond stone fall back onto her breast.

'It's lovely.' He murmured quietly before his hazel eyes turned to meet her green ones suddenly looking both serious and a touch nervous. 'Come on it's getting late; I better escort you to your rooms.' He held out his uninjured arm to her and Princess Aleena accepted it, linking her arm around his.

'Of course but may we talk on the way?' The blonde-quilled princess sounded sweetly, a flash of hope was shining in her emerald-green eyes now. He had not escorted her to her chambers since they had discontinued their friendship and since there was nobody else in the palace apart from her father and Captain Prower, who were out of sight and earshot, she felt bold enough to say the things she needed to get off her chest.

'I have missed your company these last few months..' Princess Aleena spoke these words in a soft, slightly timid voice as she was not sure just sort of reaction they would get. Jules' hazel eyes blinked and his mouth twitched as if he'd been about to smile but then changed his mind.

'Actually, I want to talk to you about that.' The cobalt male hedgehog sounded making his lilac female counterpart raise her brows intrigued.

'You do?' Princess Aleena said, feeling her heart dip slightly, not expecting this to be good news.

'Yeh..' Jules replied as his own insides quivered with nerves. He took a slow breath to try and steady himself as admitting his feelings had always been difficult for him and he wanted to do this as properly as possible, as a princess she deserved that much. 'Aleena, do you know why I severed ties with you?' The lilac-furred royal hedgehog thought carefully, trying to recall exactly what he had said to her on the battlements right after his birthday. The two hedgehogs had just arrived at the first floor and turned to take the hall towards the next set of stairs to her chambers on the second floor.

'Well, as I recall you said we were 'too different' to ever be and that our kiss was a mistake.' The lilac-furred princess said softly and Jules felt a small fleck of guilt pulse inside his stomach as he remembered how upset he had made her with his words.

'I know I said that Ali, and I'm sorry about hurting you, I just…' He tailed of feeling his throat close up a little once more, that nervous feeling washing over him once more as he was about to lay himself bare to her. 'I just…' He tried again but he still found himself taking shaky breaths.

'You just, what?' Princess Aleena's emerald green eyes scanned his face concerned, she let her other hand rest on his larger white-gloved hand and stroked his knuckles gently. Jules' hazel eyes turned to her and she could see his anxiety clearly. The pair were climbing the large sweeping stairs to the second floor of the palace now, almost approaching her private chambers.

'I just wanted to spare us from a chaos-load of pain when we realised that it was never meant to be..' The cobalt-blue hedgehog said gently and a rush of sympathy swept over the princess.

'I understand that Jules-' The lilac-furred hedgehog with blonde-quills fixed into a bun smiled at him but was forestalled from completing her sentence.

'Aleena, please… I'm not finished.' Jules said gently, wanting to finish while he could still muster the strength.

'I apologise.' She sounded sweetly and gestured for him to continue.

'No, it's me who should apologise. I was wrong, I realise that now.' This made Princess Aleena blink in surprise at his words.

'You were?' The blonde-quilled princess sounded in an almost breathless tone, her heart suddenly skipping a beat then drumming faster in her chest, barely able to believe what he was saying.

'Yeh.' Jules sounded gently, his voice actually beginning to quiver with nerves as they approached the main door to her chambers. 'It never occurred to me that it might've already been too late..' The lilac-furred hedgehog took a sharp intake of breath immediately realising what he was saying. She was about to open her mouth to say something when Jules forestalled her again.

'I guess what I'm trying to say is...' Jules unlinked arms with her so he could rake his fingers through his fringe of blue quills nervously. They were now stood facing each other outside her chamber door, the hallway around them completely deserted. Suddenly the pupils of his narrowed hazel eyes dilated and his gaze dropped from her eyes to her mouth. '-I wanna try that kiss again.' His cobalt-blue head and quills leant over towards her lilac-furred face. His free hand raised to stroke her pale-skinned cheek as Princess Aleena tilted her chin up, eager to meet his mouth. Her heart was fluttering with both excitement and nerves. As their lips made contact Jules' one good hand lowered from her face so he could wrap his arm around her, bringing her closer to him. As the fingers of his good hand stroked the embroidered bodice of her corset, the fingers of his bandaged hand sandwiched between their bodies flexed in a restless manner despite still being a little stiff.

Princess Aleena responded earnestly to his kiss, still not getting the right rhythm with her breathing as her breath came out in short ragged bursts between lip movements. Her fingers stroked his shoulders and upper-arms slowly before they travelled to his back. This time when she felt Jules' soft tongue run over her lips the lilac-furred female granted him access to her mouth then seemed to melt into him as the cobalt male kissed her deeply. The pair slowly parted before things could get too heated, still clinging to each other and gazing into the other's eyes.

'Goodnight Ali.' Jules said in a low alluring tone. His hazel eyes still narrowed as he gazed at her with a lazy smile, he felt more content in this moment than he had for a long time.

'Goodnight Jules.' She murmured back as her emerald-green eyes narrowed with innocent enticement. Princess Aleena's own heart beat with the same warmth and contentment he felt. The two hedgehogs then pulled apart from one another and as the princess headed inside her chambers to retire for the evening, the patrol private turned on his red-booted heels and headed back down the hall. There was a slight spring in his step as he went...

* * *

_Little Notes:_

_Hey peeps, my apologies for taking soooo long with this chapter, as you can see not only is it considerably longer but it was also a massive pain in the arse to put together! I also have had a busy social calendar recently which does not help but then, there's more to life than sitting in front of a computer so I thank you for your patience._

_Ok firstly, sorry for the lack of Charles in this chapter (yet again) he will be back properly in the next chapter and I will also be getting back to the other main issue of this fic… The War! I haven't forgotten about it I promise, it will be playing a crucial role very soon in the story…_

_Alright, I do hope you like the relationship that Jules has with Alicia here. I wanted to try and convey something that was similar, yet completely different from Sonic and Sally. Alicia does have a semi-important role to play in this story and she was one character that never seemed to get used much in the Archie comics (she spent the majority of it unconscious in a tube). I didn't want her to come off as a clone of Sally so I have pretty much come up with her character myself, only using her bio as a very loose guide. Of course we also have the introduction of Mayor Maximillion Acorn too, his character will be based on his Archie-counterpart but of course, since he isn't king in this fic he will also be different. The first change you will notice is that I have made him a relative of Amadeus Prower meaning that in my fic Sally and Tails will also be related. I also make a note of Tail's mother who, again, has been changed to suit my story… I must admit that I love the idea of her being a hard-hitting reporter for the news while her husband is a captain in the one place where news is always about! I will be writing more on that and it's difficulties later.._

_Anyway, I've bored you enough… until next time!_

_Stay tuned…_


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